Nuns of the Above
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence make the archbishop squirm
I stopped going to Mass the minute I got my drivers license. At first it was kind of a goof -- my brother and I told my devout Catholic partents that we wanted to go to a different church in town, where we liiked the priests better, and on Sunday morning, when they set off for their parish, we set off for ours ... only we'd stop on the way at a deli where the German owner had never respected the drinking-age laws, and we'd pick up a six of beer. Then we'd go sit in the park and drink for an hour, come home a bit dizzy and answer my mother's interrogation:
"How was mass?"
"Good."
"What was the sermon about?"
"Sin."
What did the priest say about it?"
"He's against it."
We all tried not to laugh, and lunch would be served.
Soon we stopped pretending, and didn't even bother to get out of bed. A Catholic-school education never quite worked; I think I was born with the Atheist Gene, not the God Gene.
But 16 years of exposure teaches you a few things, and when I read about the ridiculous furor over the archbishop of San Francisco apologizing for giving Communion to two members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, I had to laugh.
Archbishop George Niederauer was celebrating Mass at Most Holy Redeemder, which has a large gay membership, on the day of the Castro Street Fair. What, exactly, did he think was going to happen?
Well, the esteemed man of God notes in a letter to his constituents that "At Communion time, toward the end of the line, two strangely dressed persons came to receive Communion. "As I recall," Niederauer wrote, "one of them wore a large flowered hat or garland."
Welcome to San Francisco, bish.
Now then, scolds Niederauer, "These two people have long made a practice of mocking the Catholic Church in general and religious women in particular. Someone who dresses in a mock religious habit to attend Mass does so to make a point (that) was intended as a provocative gesture."
No shit, bish.
Let me clue the Arch in on a few things.
1. Many, many Catholics, probably most of them, mock the Catholic Church. It's an eminently mockable institution, a men's club that preaches love but practices exclusion and always takes itself way too seriously. Even priests tell jokes about the Pope. Funny, nasty jokes. The whole idea of the Pope is funny. Nuns are funny. Confession is funny. The idea that masturbation is a sin is funny. Everyone knows that.
2. The videotape shows the sisters acting eminenly respectful. They're dressed way better than most of the parishoners. For all the archbishop knew, they were good, practicing Catholics. For all I know, they are.
3. The archbishop ought to goddam happy that anyone in San Francisco ever shows up for Mass at all.
4. The Sisters do way more for the Castro community than the Catholic Church.
5. The Sisters motto is "go forth and sin some more." Jesus loved sinners. By some accounts, he loved boys, too.
I love San Francisco. Lighten up, bish.
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Comments (3)
If anyone thinks the sisters are "mocking" nuns by dressing up in crazy outfits and calling each other sister, I've got two words for them: Easter eggs. Wait, three words: Easter eggs, sourpuss.
Posted by Marke B. | October 17, 2007 03:31 PM
Not that too many people are listening much anymore with this unneccessary hooplah, but the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are NOT out to get the Catholic Church or any church for that matter.
As I know some of them, the way it was explained to me is that they choose to dress as nuns and act as nuns though more like crazy Sister Wanda that I had in 8th grade than yer typical represntation of a nun.
They take vows to serve the community and the Order. In essence, whether they have penises or vaginas and some as I understand it have BOTH, they vow a life of service to the community and have been doing so for nearly 30 years.
If you misunderstand and think that they are mocking Catholic nuns, maybe you should hear Sister Constance's story about working alongside Catholic Sisters at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. She told it to me and what happened was even though the Catholic Sister didnt know what to make of the Perpetual nun at first, but by the end of service she complimented Sister Constance and called her 'Sister'.
There really is no battle here. Nothing to see. Move along...
Posted by Mike | October 17, 2007 08:49 PM
Nothing too terribly exceptional about sad little boys wearing girls' clothes to get attention. Pathetic really.
And yet the only ones who seem to care are the media. I saw the 'Sisters' outside St. Mary's cathedral one day, with a gaggle of news crews breathlessly pointing at their makeup and piercings.
And yet no one else seemed to care. I would guess that if we ignore the Sisters, they'll probably just go away.
Posted by jeff | October 19, 2007 06:55 PM