Catholic columnist resigns over ‘devil-makes people-gay’ commentary
It’s good to see that some churches don’t want to further prejudice through religion.
The author of a column in the official publication of the Boston archdiocese, who also served as an advisor to the U. S. Catholic bishops, resigned on Friday.
Daniel Avila wrote an opinion piece published in The Pilot, a weekly newspaper. Published on Oct. 28, just in time for Halloween, the article suggested that homosexuality is the work of the devil.
Gay rights groups and many among the Catholic laity were upset by the author’s views, which they considered to be bad science, theology, and spirituality.
Indeed Avila’s piece, “Some fundamental questions on same-sex attraction,” caused a disturbance in Greater Boston and beyond, especially in the LGBT and allies’ blogosphere.
Accordingly, Avila resigned on Nov. 4 from his position as an advisor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. His resignation was accepted, to be effective immediately, according to the Associated Press.
Locally, for more than a decade, Avila advised the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC).
The USCCB and the MCC are official lobbying arms of the nation’s bishops and the state’s bishops, respectively.
Reactions of gratitude and relief were swift from advocacy organizations.