LOS ANGELES — As the Dodgers prepare to host LGBTQ+ Pride Night on Friday — when they will honor the self-described “queer and trans nuns” group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said Tuesday that he will dedicate a Mass that day “for healing due to the harm caused by the Dodgers decision to honor a group that intentionally denigrates and profanes the Christian faith.”
“Friday, we celebrate the feast of Jesus’ Sacred Heart,” Gomez said in a statement. “… We will be praying in a special way for our city and country, for an end to prejudice, and for renewed respect for the religious beliefs of all Angelenos and all Americans.”
The statement went on to say, “In a message to the faithful, the Archdiocese emphasized the ‘disappointment, dismay and pain’ caused by the actions of the group against the Christian faith and the Dodgers decision to honor the group even after acknowledging the concerns of the community.”
In a statement to City News Service, the Dodgers said, “We do not have comment” on the archdiocese’s statements.
The archdiocese’s criticisms come three days before the Dodgers will host their LGBTQ+ Pride Night, when, among other events, they will honor the L.A. chapter of the Sisters organization with a Community Hero Award for the group’s efforts to promote human rights, diversity and “spiritual enlightenment.”
The group’s invitation first stirred debate early last month after various Catholic groups and even U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, loudly objected.
Bowing to that pressure, the Dodgers on May 5 withdrew the invitation — only to reverse course on May 22, following criticism from LGBTQ+ groups and elected officials. On that day, the team publicly apologized to the Sisters organization and again invited the group to take part in the Pride Night event.
The Sisters had earlier issued a statement expressing “deep offense” at being uninvited — calling…
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