You're Out!

06-04-2023Pastor's LetterFr. John Bonavitacola

Dear Friends,

Tommy Lasorda was Manager of the LA Dodgers for over twenty years. He was also a Catholic and made sure that a priest would come to offer Mass at Dodger Stadium for team members and staff on Sundays when his team played. So, I wonder what he would have thought about the Dodgers Organization “honoring” the so called ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’? Probably not much.

The ’Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ describe themselves as “queer and trans” who dress up as nuns, in a mocking fashion and indulge in lots of sacrilegious, profane, and disgusting displays. Some of those include mocking the Blessed Virgin, disrupting Mass, using a large crucifix to do a stripper’s pole dance, and a whole lot worse that I won’t scandalize you with. Basically, they are an anti-Catholic hate group engaging in belittling religious sisters, blasphemously using Catholic symbols, and trampling upon some of our most sacred beliefs.

The LA Dodgers had invited them to their annual “Pride Night” but then after protests, disinvited them but then reinvited them and issued a groveling apology, praising them for all the “lifesaving work” they do, whatever that is. Los Angeles has the largest Catholic community in the US, but the Dodgers don’t mind trashing all those Catholics.

Would the Dodgers have honored a group that actively and publicly mocks another religion? Maybe rather than nuns’ habits, the group wore the garments of an Orthodox rabbi? Or maybe a burka, that some Muslim women wear? Or urinating on the Quran? I think we know the answer.

In the meantime, a reporter asked the question at a White House Briefing, “The President is Catholic, what is his reaction to this?” The response from the spokesperson was something to the effect of not wanting to get in the middle of who a sports team is honoring. Really? If the Dodgers were honoring a group that mocks Muslims or Jews or Sikhs, I have no doubt we would hear something like, “this is ripping the soul of our nation apart” platitude from the President or his spokesperson.

I don’t expect the President to defend the Catholic Faith, but a little bit of decency would be helpful. Even an anodyne statement such as, “we don’t support any group that mocks anyone’s beliefs or religious practices.” But no. Radio silence from old Joe, who likes to remind us that Pope Francis, he claims, told him he was a good Catholic.

Well good and not so good Catholics need to have some self-respect and stand up against this insult from the LA Dodgers. In fact, I hope that other people, whether religiously observant or not, would stand up and let the LA Dodgers know that it is not acceptable to mock Catholics or anyone’s religion.

I know that the Church is always better when it fights for other people and not for itself. But there is a line, and that line was crossed in this instance. Indulging the blatant anti-Catholicism and bigotry of the Dodgers organization is something we should not do.

The baseball of Tommy Lasorda that was fun and honorable and family friendly appears to be a thing of the past in LA.

Love, Fr. John B.

PS: Yours truly will be on Women of Grace with Johnette Williams on EWTN on Mon, Jun 5 and Tue, Jun 6. Show airs 1:00pm eastern and 10:00am AZ time.