Maine's Catholic Church Boots Lay Minister For Supporting Marriage Equality

Pamela Beliveau performs storytelling at children's events across Maine and New England where she has established award-winning child literacy programs. She used to be a lector and Eucharistic Minister for her hometown Catholic Church in Maine, but just got fired by her pastor after he read her letter in support of marriage equality in a local newspaper.

Beliveau explained her position to the National Catholic Reporter: "At every juncture of this debate, we have to remind ourselves that we are dealing with heart, soul, and flesh human beings who are in love called and wired for relationship, including intimate relationships. When anyone finds that other person in [his or her] life," Beliveau explained, "then we aspire to marriage, a noble and honorable way to live our lives." Heterosexually married for 20 years, the mother of two daughters, and graduate student at Boston College's School of Ministry of Theology, Beliveau added, "To deny any couple [marriage] breaks my heart."

Perhaps most important, "People in same-sex marriage do not diminish my marriage or family." Rather, she said, "Anyone promoting committed, monogamous relationships enhance my life and that of my family." After her guest column, "A Committed Marriage is a worthy Aspiration," Oct. 18, she received a letter from her pastor. He wrote: "The Lewiston Sun Journal published a guest editorial by you which expressed views contrary to the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on the nature of marriage. ... In view of this publicly stated position of yours, I regret that you will not be eligible to exercise a public ministry in Prince of Peace Parish. More specifically, that means that I have decided that you are not to serve as a reader or minister of Holy Communion effective today."

Fired for her position on gay marriage? Isn't that exactly what NOM and Stand For Marriage are always screaming and warning about? The hypocrisy is not surprising.