anti-Catholicism

A member of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence marches with LGBTQ+ activists during the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s “Drag March LA: The March on Santa Monica Boulevard,” in West Hollywood, California, on Easter Sunday April 9, 2023. / Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 23, 2023 / 00:01 am (CNA).

Catholic leaders reacted with disgust Monday night after the Los Angeles Dodgers re-invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to be an honoree at the team’s LGBTQ+ Pride Night game on June 16 despite the drag group’s mockery of the Catholic faith. 

“When did mocking Catholic nuns become America’s pastime?“ the Catholic advocacy group CatholicVote tweeted. 

“Shamefully, (but not surprisingly) the @dodgers have been bullied into apologizing to & ‘re-inviting’ a group of anti-catholic bigots,” tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who wrote a letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred protesting the Dodgers’ original invitation. “Today our great country is controlled by socio-political ruling elites who don’t just tolerate anti-Christian bigotry, they encourage [it].”

Major League Baseball announced on May 4 that the Dodgers planned to honor the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a gay and transgender advocacy group known for its provocative Catholic-themed satire, but the team reversed course on May 17 after complaints from Catholic leaders and advocacy groups.

“Given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night, we are deciding to remove them from this year’s group of honorees,” the Dodgers said at the time.

The team’s first reversal drew fierce criticism from LGBTQ advocates, civil rights groups, and L.A. political leaders, leading the team to reconsider its decision. In a Facebook post, the Sisters said their “abbess” and a board member of the group met Monday morning with the Dodgers president and part-owner Stan Kasten and LGBTQ+ community representatives and elected officials.

“A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept,” the group said. “We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and … they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them.”  

Later in the day, the Dodgers announced that they had re-invited the group to join other honorees at the team’s Pride Night game against the San Francisco Giants.

“The Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “We have asked the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to take their place on the field at our 10th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night.” 

Reacting to the news, CatholicVote tweeted: “Simon and Garfunkel said it well. We’ve lost our way: ‘Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio. Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.’”

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