Fired Homosexual Music Dir. Sues Catholics—Chicago

Colin Collette was fired from his position as music director at Holy Family Catholic Community in suburban Inverness in July because he announced plans to be married to William Nifong.  Then Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago met with Collette in September to make clear to him that the Church simply cannot employ someone who so publicly violates Catholic tenets, just as Rev. Terence Keehan of Holy Family had told Collette previously.

"I have chosen to enter into a marriage, as is my right under Illinois law, and perhaps I can open the door to other men and women who the church has chosen to exclude from the community. . . . My pursuit now is about change and justice, about acceptance and openness in the church"
-- Colin Collette, broadcasting on local media

For background, read about Pope Francis' strong opposition to same-sex marriage and what he called the Work of the Devil.

Also read of Catholic schools being attacked across America by their own parishioners for firing homosexuals.

And read how the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Obama's EEOC cannot veto church hiring and firing decisions.

In addition, read Pastors Face Fines, Jail for Refusing 'Gay Wedding'





-- From "Investigation expected after gay choir director fired from Catholic church files complaint" by Courtney Gousman, WGN-TV9 (Chicago, IL) 12/4/14

Federal and county officials are getting involved in allegations of discrimination, after a Catholic choir director says he was fired for professing plans to marry his gay lover.

The complaint filed Thursday is expected to trigger investigations [by the] EEOC and the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and could make for a landmark lawsuit.

Attorneys believe this case could make it all the way to the Supreme Court.

Right now Collette has taken a job [at] a flower shop and he has yet to marry his longtime partner.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gay music director files complaint over firing by Catholics" by Dan Hinkel and Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune 12/5/14

Collette's claims were filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Cook County Commission on Human Rights, the local body that handles discrimination allegations. A federal discrimination complaint generally has to be filed and reviewed before a person can sue a former employer over alleged discrimination. The EEOC can issue an aggrieved employee a notice of the right to sue the employer or, in rare cases, the agency can sue the employer on the employee's behalf.

Collette's firing upset many parishioners at Holy Family, drawing hundreds of people to a meeting at the church in August. Most who spoke at the event voiced support for Collette, and a church cantor announced his resignation because of Collette's dismissal.

In November, Holy Family announced the hiring of Gene Garcia as the new director of music, according to the church website.

Collette's lawyer, Kerry Lavelle, said negotiations with the church and archdiocese led nowhere. Collette has reached out to Chicago's new archbishop, Blase Cupich, but has received no response, LaVelle said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gay ex-Holy Family music director files discrimination claims" by Doug T. Graham, Daily Herald (Chicago suburbs) 12/4/14

The complaints name Holy Family's pastor, the Rev. Terence Keehan, and parish manager Rosemary Geisler as parties responsible for the discriminatory firing, according to Lavelle.

Kristina Regal, another attorney for Collette, said Holy Family has 30 days to respond to the allegations. Collette would end the legal proceedings if allowed to return to work at Holy Family or another parish, she said.

"This is the first case that we know about where someone has been terminated for entering into a legal gay marriage, so we're testing new law," [Kristina Regal] said.

Dolores Siok, a member of Holy Family for more than 25 years, said Collette's firing has driven a wedge down the middle of the congregation.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Cardinal meets with gay church employee who was fired" by Meredith Rodriguez and Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune 9/10/14

Colin Collette, who recently was let go from his job at Holy Family Catholic Church in Inverness, said that after he asked for the meeting, [Cardinal] George responded right away.

“I was incredibly grateful to the cardinal for meeting with me. This is an incredibly difficult time for him. ... I was moved beyond words that he would meet with me,” Collette said of George, who is battling cancer. “We prayed together. He was wonderful. He was very pastoral.”

Collette declined to elaborate on the nature of the discussion Tuesday. He said he had sought the meeting in hopes of getting his job back. While there was no indication that would happen, Collette said the cardinal urged him to speak to his pastor.

The Archdiocese of Chicago had said that the meeting would be private and that the cardinal would not comment about it. Holy Family’s pastor, the Rev. Terry Keehan, also did not respond to a request for comment.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gay Music Director Files Suit After Being Fired From Church Over Engagement" by Mary Ann Ahern, WMAQ-TV5 (Chicago) 12/4/14

Collette said [newly-appointed] Chicago Archbishop Blasé Cupich has not returned his calls.

“We do intend to respond in the appropriate form in which it was filed, and I think that’s probably the best way for us to respond to it,” Cupich said.

"Pastors hire and dismiss all parish personnel and govern according to the teachings of the Church and Archdiocesan policies. This is a matter of personal integrity on their part," the archdiocese said in a statement. "Those that serve as Ministers of the Church, including worship ministers, are expected to conform their lives publicly with the teachings of the Church."

Cardinal George said before his meeting with Collette that it was Collette's decision that "caused this crisis."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Cardinal Francis George's description of the ObamaNation: It's a 'Fake Church'

Cardinal Francis George says homosexual activist church leader HAD to be fired (video):


Also read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty

ObamaNation = 'Fake Church' Says Catholic Cardinal

Writing for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George describes an America recreated in the image of President Obama where Catholics are ostracized by the establishment self-righteous enlightened liberals who wield their own version of Sharia Law that punishes the nonconformists and even threatens their citizenship.

For background, read ObamaNation:  Building Alters of Worship to the National Treasure of Sexual Deviancy where President Obama Favors the One Percenters (Homosexuals)

Also read President Obama's National Cathedral is the Seat of Apostasy

From "Cardinal: U.S. ‘Creed’ on Gay Marriage Like Sharia Law" by Michael W. Chapman, CNSNews.com 9/10/14

Cardinal Francis George, head of the Catholic archdiocese of Chicago, said the levers of power in government, education, entertainment, and media are enforcing a “public creed,” a “fake church” that requires all citizens to approve of gay marriage and related sexual anomalies or be punished by the State, just “as Christians and Jews are fined for their religion in countries governed by Sharia law.”

Cardinal George, who was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2007-10, made his remarks in his Sept. 7 column for the archdiocesean newspaper. In his commentary, the cardinal explains that America, despite social frictions at certain times, had always strived to ensure religious freedom and respect for different religions.

But that has now changed, he said. “In recent years, society has brought social and legislative approval to all types of sexual relationships that used to be considered ‘sinful,’” he continued. “Since the biblical vision of what it means to be human tells us that not every friendship or love can be expressed in sexual relations, the church’s teaching on these issues is now evidence of intolerance for what the civil law upholds and even imposes.”

“What was once a request to live and let live has now become a demand for approval,” said Cardinal George . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "A tale of two churches" by Cardinal Francis George, Catholic New World (Archdiocese of Chicago) 9/7/14

[The United States of America] had never explicitly taken upon itself the mantle of a religion and officially told its citizens what they must personally think or what “values” they must personalize in order to deserve to be part of the country. Until recent years.

. . . [but now, the] “ruling class,” those who shape public opinion in politics, in education, in communications, in entertainment, is using the civil law to impose its own form of morality on everyone. . . . those who do not conform to the official religion, we are warned, place their citizenship in danger.

When the recent case about religious objection to one provision of the Health Care Act was decided against the State religion, the Huffington Post (June 30, 2014) raised “concerns about the compatibility between being a Catholic and being a good citizen.” This is not the voice of the nativists who first fought against Catholic immigration in the 1830s. Nor is it the voice of those who burned convents and churches in Boston and Philadelphia a decade later. Neither is it the voice of the Know-Nothing Party of the 1840s and 1850s, nor of the Ku Klux Klan, which burned crosses before Catholic churches in the Midwest after the civil war. It is a voice more sophisticated than that of the American Protective Association, whose members promised never to vote for a Catholic for public office. This is, rather, the selfrighteous voice of some members of the American establishment today who regard themselves as “progressive” and “enlightened.”

. . . those who choose to live by the Catholic faith will not be welcomed as political candidates to national office, will not sit on editorial boards of major newspapers, will not be at home on most university faculties, will not have successful careers as actors and entertainers. Nor will their children, who will also be suspect. Since all public institutions, no matter who owns or operates them, will be agents of the government and conform their activities to the demands of the official religion, the practice of medicine and law will become more difficult for faithful Catholics. It already means in some States that those who run businesses must conform their activities to the official religion or be fined, as Christians and Jews are fined for their religion in countries governed by Sharia law.

. . . How does the tale end? We don’t know. The actual situation is, of course, far more complex than a story plot, and there are many actors and characters, even among the ruling class, who do not want their beloved country to transform itself into a fake church. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Vice President Biden Declares 'Gay Rights' Trump Religious Beliefs

And read American Decline: Obama's Gay Agenda vs. Christians

In addition, read Gay Agenda will be Complete when Christians are Muzzled, Say Homosexualists as well as Senator Ted Cruz Says the Gay Agenda Ends Christian Liberty

Cardinal Francis George says homosexual activist church leader HAD to be fired (video):

IL Catholic Leaders Lobby Against Abortion

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and the Catholic Conference descended upon the Springfield Capitol to meet with Gov. Quinn and other lawmakers. The Catholic legislative agenda includes ultrasounds shown to mothers before an abortion.

See related article: Illinois Abortion Safety Law Moves in House

UPDATE 5/10/11: Controlled by liberals, Illinois pro-life legislation has no chance

-- From "Catholic group backs Ill. ultrasound bill" by The Associated Press 4/6/11

The Catholic Conference of Illinois says doctors already perform ultrasounds and sharing them with pregnant mothers would be a courtesy.

The group would like to require women to view ultrasounds when considering abortion, but it says that wouldn't pass in Illinois.

Opponents say the legislation would create an unnecessary hour of waiting time that is meant to be used to change a woman's mind about the abortion.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Catholic leaders lobby for anti-abortion measure, textbook funding" by Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News 4/6/11

Catholic leaders from across Illinois on Wednesday came to the Capitol to weigh in on anti-abortion legislation that was approved by a House committee this week.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois is the public policy voice of the Catholic Church, according to its website, and is governed mostly by all of the bishops in the six dioceses across the state.

The ultrasound measure has become a contested issue in Springfield. Brigid Leahy of Planned Parenthood Illinois said this is just one of a number of proposals on women's reproductive rights that are surfacing this year. She takes exception to the notion that the proposal would protect life.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Proposal would require ultrasound offers before abortions" by Andy Brownfield, GateHouse News Service 4/6/11

House Bill 786 would require abortion providers to give women seeking abortions the opportunity to view an active ultrasound before the procedure is performed. The measure also requires facilities to report how many women choose to view the ultrasound.

Another proposal, House Bill 1919, would have done the same thing, but an opponent in the Senate took over sponsorship with the intent of killing the plan, said House sponsor Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg.

Abortion providers currently use ultrasounds in their practice, but the measure would require they offer to show the results to each patient. The proposal was approved by the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee on Tuesday.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Nancy Pelosi Thanks God for Nuns' Support for Abortion Bill

On the National Day of Prayer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), praised a small minority of Catholics for supporting ObamaCare legislation, which was opposed by pro-life Democrat congressmen and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops because of the bill's funding of abortion. In addition, Pelosi appealed to Catholic clergy to preach immigration reform from pulpit.

UPDATE 8/5/10: Pelosi Won't Say if Christ Had a Right to Life



-- From "Nuns, Nancy Pelosi are rock stars to progressive Catholics" USA TODAY 5/7/10

In the final days of the contentious health care reform debates, [Sister Carol] Keehan, head of Catholic Health Association, and nearly 60 other nuns and leaders of religious orders found the [ObamaCare] legislation's numerous anti-abortion funding provisions -- provisions which did not satisfy the Catholic bishops -- were indeed sufficient. They came out in favor of the bill, saying it was "life affirming" legislation. This gave pro-life legislators enough cover to allow them to vote for the bill.

[At a Washington briefing for the Nation’s Catholic Community, sponsored by the National Catholic Reporter and Trinity Washington University, attendees] gave Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi a standing ovation on Thursday afternoon for her role in drop-kicking health reform through the House. When she mentioned Keehan and the nuns, also rock stars among social-justice-focus Catholics, cheers of "Thank you!!" rang out.

As columnist E.J. Dionne later told the group, "Everyone in this room has been told at least once in their lives, 'Listen to the nuns!'"

Pelosi spoke of how her Catholic faith informs her life, saying how she prays morning and night for the poor hungry children of the world, and how she believes is it the job of legislators to "live the Gospels" with policies that care for them.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pelosi: 'Thank God for the Nuns' Who Helped Pass a 'Life-Affirming' Health Care Bill" by Nicholas Ballasy, CNSNews.com Video Reporter 5/7/10

"We believe that the health care initiative was respecting the dignity and worth of every person," Pelosi, a Catholic, told the Catholic Community Conference Thursday on Capitol Hill. "I thank so many of you who helped get that passed. Thank God for the nuns. Thank God for the nuns.”

Pelosi continued, “Thank God for the nuns -- and nuns, imagine, 15, 16 leaders of orders representing 59,000 orders -- and I didn’t realize it was Dominican, Benedictine and Franciscan, Notre Dame de L’Amour, Notre Dame School Sisters, every possible kind of name you can think of, there they were on the list. And they wrote to us saying, ‘We support this life-affirming legislation.’ We were so proud of them and they helped us do just that."

The bill ultimately passed in March without language that specifically prohibits federal funds from going to health insurance plans that cover abortion.

In a statement following passage of the bill, the head of the USCCB, Cardinal Francis George, wrote: “(F)or whatever good this law achieves or intends, we as Catholic bishops have opposed its passage because there is compelling evidence that it would expand the role of the federal government in funding and facilitating abortion and plans that cover abortion. The statute appropriates billions of dollars in new funding without explicitly prohibiting the use of these funds for abortion, and it provides federal subsidies for health plans covering elective abortions. …

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pelosi Urges Catholic Church to Play 'Major Role' in Immigration Overhaul" FOXNews.com 5/7/10

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday urged Catholic leaders to "instruct" their parishioners to support immigration reforms, saying clerics should "play a very major role" in supporting Democratic policies.

"The cardinals, the archbishops, the bishops that come to me and say, 'We want you to pass immigration reform,' and I said, 'I want you to speak about it from the pulpit. I want you to instruct your' -- whatever the communication is," said Pelosi, who is Catholic, speaking at the Nation's Catholic Community conference sponsored by Trinity Washington University and the National Catholic Reporter.

"The people, some (who) oppose immigration reform, are sitting in those pews, and you have to tell them that this is a manifestation of our living the gospels," she said.

While it's not unusual for clergy to speak about politics from the pulpit, it is uncommon for a lawmaker to openly encourage them to preach a specific policy.

Asked for clarification, a Pelosi spokesman issued the statement: "From health care to energy security to immigration reform, the speaker believes the faith community has played and will continue to play a critical role in our national debate."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Cardinal to Politicians: Vote for Abortion? You're Excommunicated!

Catholic members of Congress who vote for the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) could face “automatic excommunication” if the act is determined to be “formal cooperation” in the evil of abortion.

-- From "Catholics Who Vote for Freedom of Choice Act Could Face Automatic Excommunication" by Matt Hadro, CNSNews.com 11/19/08

When asked last week whether a Catholic politician voting for the FOCA – which would impose nationwide abortion on demand and government funding of abortion – would incur automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said the question would need to be discussed once the actual language of the bill was known.

George is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

“The categories in moral theology about cooperating in evil, which make you complicit in the evil even though you don’t do it yourself, are material cooperation, which is usually remote and therefore doesn’t involve you in the moral action except in a very auxiliary and minor way, and formal cooperation, which would involve you even though you are not doing it, in the way that makes you culpable,” said George.

President-elect Barack Obama promised in his campaign to sign FOCA. As introduced in the current Congress, FOCA denies all federal, state and local governments the power to interfere with a woman’s “choice” to abort a baby, and prohibits “discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.”

Fr. Frank Pavone of the Priests for Life told CNSNews.com: “Any legislator who would vote for such an extreme piece of pro-abortion legislation [FOCA], and any executive who would sign it or judge who would uphold it, or even a citizen who would lobby in any way in favor of it, would be committing a serious sin, objectively speaking. It is cooperation with evil in a totally unjustified way.”

Dr. Mark Miravalle, a theology professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, said of a Catholic politician voting for FOCA, “I think you would have to conclude that it would be a formal act, a formal cooperation [in the act of abortion].”

The purpose of FOCA, he continued, “is to ensure the right of a woman to have an abortion.”

When asked about a pro-abortion Catholic politician seeking to receive Holy Communion, Dr. Mark Miravalle said, “Canonically, based on scandal, and based on proper protection of the Eucharist, no pro-abortion, pro-choice Catholic politician should be admitted to receive Holy Communion.”

To read the entire article, which includes interview comments with Cardinal George, CLICK HERE.

Catholic Bishops' Statement Warns Obama on Abortion

"Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion."

-- From "Catholic bishops plan to forcefully confront Obama" by Manya Brachear, Chicago Tribune staff reporter 11/11/08

In a direct challenge to President-elect Barack Obama, America's Roman Catholic bishops vowed on Tuesday [November 11th] to accept no compromise for the sake of national unity until there is legal protection for the unborn.

About 300 bishops, gathered in Baltimore for their national meeting, adopted a formal blessing for a child in the womb and advised Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, president of the conference, as he began drafting a statement from the bishops to the incoming Obama administration. That document will call on the administration and Catholics who supported Obama to work to outlaw abortion.

"This is not a matter of political compromise or a matter of finding some way of common ground," said Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio. "It's a matter of absolutes."

Several bishops said that Catholics could not in good conscience vote for a candidate who favored abortion rights after Obama pledged to pass legislation that would overturn state's restrictions on abortion such as late-term abortion bans and requirements of parental consent.

Bishops Thomas Paprocki of Chicago said such legislation could threaten laws that allow health-care workers to refrain from carrying out procedures that violate their conscience, putting Catholic health care institutions in jeopardy.

George agreed that losing federal funds would put Catholic health care facilities, which make up a third of the nation's hospitals, out of business. Closing Catholic hospitals would put many patients seeking charitable care from those facilities at risk, he added.

In crafting the statement to Obama, the bishops urged the cardinal to indicate a desire to work with the administration in areas of economic justice, immigration reform, health care for the poor and religious freedom. But they stressed the church's "intent on opposing evil" and "defense of the unborn child."

Read the full statement: Cardinal George Voices Hope for Obama Administration, Points to Possible Obstacles to Our Desired Unity

Mayor Daley Dedicates $65 mil Center for Gays, Lesbians, and Cross-Dressers

From "New Gay and Lesbian Center Will Be Haven for All" by Joanie Lum, posted 6/4/07 at cbs2chicago.com

Mayor Richard M. Daley was scheduled to cut the ribbon on a new, state of the art facility for the gay and lesbian community Tuesday. CBS 2’s Joanie Lum got a first look at the modern, multi-million dollar facility.

If the new Center on Halsted, at 3656 N. Halsted St., seems expansive, it’s because everyone is accepted here, gay or straight. The 65,000-square-foot building is the most comprehensive facility in the country supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, also known as the LGBT community.

The center offers classes, therapy and advice on how to deal with discrimination.

Fabulous. Classes in how sue anyone who objects to your behavior...

The faculty also has plenty of room for fun – from the full size gym named after tennis great Billie Jean King to the Richard M. Daley roof garden.

"We have screens that drop down for movie night or Monday night football,” he said.

And there’s a 170-seat theater, fully outfitted.

When it’s finished, they hope their big green open lobby will be a social gathering place for anyone who wants to learn about the LGBT community and what is offered here at Center on Halsted.

Read the rest of this article.

In other words, Mayor Daley has officially endorsed a $65 million monument dedicated to affirming homosexual behavior and cross-dressing.

I've got a few questions:

1. Who is paying for all this? (Of course this is merely a rhetorical question. We all know...)

2. Why is Roman Catholic mayor publicly encouraging behavior that God has condemned?

3. Will Mayor Daley still receive Communion this Sunday OR will he receive church discipline, as he should?

If you are a faithful Catholic, please contact Cardinal George and respectfully encourage him to stand up for righteousness and be a "teacher, leader, and pastor" (as he is described on the archdiocese website) by calling the mayor to account.

Archdiocese of Chicago The

1400 S Austin Blvd
Cicero, IL 60804

(708) 222-8854