Archbishop Harry Flynn had said that Communion would not be denied to rainbow sash wears except in "extreme circumstances", I haven't seen an explanation of what those circumstances would be. None the less at yesterday's Mass at the Cathedral of St Paul a group of laymen calling themselves "ushers of the Eucharist" did try to prevent Gays and their supporters from receiving communion. I did see one of the Cathedral priests - who gave communion to all comers yesterday - on the evening news last night say something about no one having the right to decide who gets communion, that that is between the communicant and God.
I can only assume that Archbishop Flynn has no burning desire to be a Cardinal (Though he was on the short list to succeed Law in Boston). It was always rumored that one of our past Archbishops did not get made a cardinal because he had privately disagreed with the pope about birth control.
More detail at:
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4803734.htmlRoman Catholic laymen clashed with gay Catholics and their allies Sunday in a nonviolent confrontation over gays participating in the Eucharist.
About 40 men from a recently formed group, Ushers of the Eucharist, collected in the central aisle in the Cathedral of St. Paul during holy communion and asked the Rainbow Sash Alliance not to take part.
They then knelt in the aisle to block those wearing rainbow sashes, which symbolize support of gay Catholics taking communion. Other members of the group created a bottleneck by kneeling in front of the altar.
At one point, ushers directed worshipers to proceed to communion ministers through the side aisles.
Pence acknowledged that his group is defying Archbishop Harry Flynn's stance that the Rainbow Sash Alliance will not be denied communion except under "extreme" circumstances, but said it was necessary. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago instructed priests there to refuse communion to rainbow sash wearers.
"The Eucharist and the tradition of the church is bigger than me and it's bigger than Archbishop Flynn," Pence said. "Our bishop is a good man, but an extremely weak man and we want to give him courage."