Cordileone: I Won't Be At The Hate March

Over the weekend I noted that San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone's name was not on NOM's list of speakers for Saturday's hate march. Yesterday he confirmed his non-attendance with the San Francisco Chronicle:

San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archbishop has decided not to attend this year’s annual march against same-sex marriage in Washington, D.C., avoiding a repeat of an appearance that proved controversial back home last year. Other U.S. bishops will instead represent the Catholic Church at Saturday’s rally, the San Francisco Archdiocese said in a brief statement issued Wednesday evening explaining why Cordileone would not be going. In an earlier statement to The Chronicle confirming his non-attendance, the archdiocese said Cordileone’s “highest priority” was his intention to speak with teachers and families in local Catholic schools, where there has been an outcry over the archbishop’s demand that staffers sign a morality clause declaring sex outside marriage and homosexual relations to be “gravely evil.”

“While he remains involved in national issues, Archbishop Cordileone will not be attending the march,” the archdiocese said in its statement Wednesday. “His highest priority in the coming days is a productive dialogue with Catholic-school teachers and families here in San Francisco, whose concerns are very important to him.” A leader in the archdiocese teachers movement to oppose the proposed morality code said he had heard nothing of a renewed dialogue with the archbishop. “We have nothing to our knowledge planned,” said Sal Curcio, a teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic High School. “I double-checked my e-mail. Nothing there. I’ve asked a few people, and so far nobody has heard of any meeting planned.”

The archdiocese has also issued a press release.

Prominent Catholics To Pope Francis: Replace Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone

Via the San Francisco Chronicle:

In an unprecedented move, more than 100 prominent Roman Catholic donors and church members signed a full-page ad running Thursday in The Chronicle that calls on Pope Francis to replace San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for fostering “an atmosphere of division and intolerance.” The plea follows months of dissent within the archdiocese over Cordileone’s emphasis on traditional, conservative church doctrine — including asking high school teachers and staffers at Catholic schools to sign a morality clause that characterizes sex outside of marriage and homosexual relations as “gravely evil.”

In their open letter to the pope, Cordileone’s critics say his morality-clause push is mean-spirited and “sets a pastoral tone that is closer to persecution than evangelization.” The ad drew swift condemnation from the archdiocese, which said those who signed it don’t speak for San Francisco’s Catholic community.

The list of signatories includes Brian Cahill, the retired executive director of Catholic Charities, former city commissioner and Boudin Bakery executive Lou Giraudo, retired Swinerton Builders Chairman David Grubb, businessman and former political consultant Clint Reilly and his wife, Janet, San Francisco attorney Michael Kelly, and Charles Geschke, chairman of Adobe Systems and former head of the University of San Francisco Board of Trustees. Also on the list is Tom Brady Sr., father of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Cordileone is considered by some to be the "father of Prop 8" and he will again attend NOM's upcoming hate march at the Supreme Court. Hit the link for much more about the petition.

Catholic Bishops Have The SCOTUS Sadz

"It’s hard to imagine how the essential meaning of marriage as between the two sexes, understood in our nation for over two hundred years, and consistent with every society throughout all of human history, could be declared illegal. To those arguing for a constitutional redefinition of marriage, one must ask: when did the Constitution suddenly mandate a novel and unfounded definition of marriage? To ask such a question is not a judgment on anyone. It is a matter of justice and truth. The central issue at stake is: what is marriage? The answer is: a bond which unites a man and a woman to each other and to any children who come from their union. Only a man and a woman can unite their bodies in a way that creates a new human being. Marriage is thus a unique and beautiful reality which a society respects to its benefit or ignores to its peril." - "Father of Prop 8" and drunk driver Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, in a press release issued on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Headline Of The Day

It's funny but also not so funny.

Craig Gallo, 51, crashed his boat into the runway lights of the busy hub after descending below deck with James Benenato, 60, and Mary Ann Belson, 60. A spokesman for the PA Police Department admitted that security had been breached. He said if those aboard the boat had been "terrorists with bad intentions," they could have easily succeeded. "If they had hand-held rockets, they would have had plenty of time to fire at planes." However, there were no patrols on that night because the PA Police Department has decided that evening patrols would go in a round of cost cutting measures. "The boats were purchased with federal money. They are not being deployed 24-7 — as the public would expect them to be," said Paul Nunziato of the PAPD union.

LGA's runways extend out into Long Island Sound and now everybody knows you can drive a boat right up to the edge without being hassled. But only at night!

Nancy Pelosi To Archbishop Cordileone: Drop Out Of NOM's Hate March

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has written to San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone with a demand that he drop out of NOM's hate march.

Pelosi, who is one of the country's most powerful Catholic politicians, made a passionate appeal to the archbishop in a letter obtained by The Chronicle not to participate in the National Organization for Marriage's June 19 march on the Supreme Court in Washington. Cordileone, who is one of the featured speakers at the event, was a leader in the campaign for Proposition 8, the 2008 California anti-gay-marriage initiative. "We share our love of the Catholic faith and our city of San Francisco," Pelosi wrote to Cordileone, who, as head of the 560,000-member Archdiocese of San Francisco, has become the Catholic bishops' point man against gay marriage. She urged him to abandon an event in which some of the participants show "disdain and hate towards LGBT persons." Invoking the words of Pope Francis with regard to gays and lesbians, she wrote, "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?"

Pelosi characterizes the march, which is this Thursday, as "venom masquerading as virtue."

RELATED: Cordileone is known as the "father of Prop 8."

As an auxiliary bishop in San Diego, Cordileone played an indispensable role in conceiving, funding, organizing, and ultimately winning the campaign to pass Proposition 8. It was Bishop Sal and a small group of Catholic leaders who decided that they had to amend the state constitution. It was Bishop Sal who found the first major donor and flushed the fledgling campaign with cash. It was Bishop Sal who personally brought in the organization that took the lead on the petition drive. And it was Bishop Sal who coordinated the Catholic effort with evangelical churches around the state. Bishop Sal even helped craft the campaign's rhetorical strategy, sitting in on focus groups to hone the message of Proposition 8. We know all this because as homosexuals and their supporters were wondering how this all came about, Cordileone gloated about his work in an interview with an obscure Catholic radio network. He bragged about how gay men and lesbians never saw him coming and called gay marriage a Satanic plot by "the Evil One" to destroy morality in the modern world.

San Francisco Archbishop Urges Fellow Bishops To Support NOM's Hate March

"Your Eminence/Your Excellency: As you may be aware, several organizations are collaborating to sponsor a second March for Marriage which is scheduled to be held on June 19, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Just two days before the beginning of the Fortnight for Freedom, this year’s March for Marriage will provide an ideal occasion for participants to celebrate and give public witness to the unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and one woman at a time when the religious liberties and conscience rights of those who promote and defend marriage are increasingly threatened. We are very grateful for this opportunity to express our support for the March for Marriage and to encourage participation in this event. We kindly ask that you promote the march in your diocese and parishes and encourage participation where possible." - San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, in a letter sent to all bishops in the United States. (Via Good As You)

FLORIDA: Jury Bias Investigated Over Gay Man Convicted Of DUI Manslaughter

A Broward County jury yesterday found a gay man guilty of DUI manslaughter for a 2010 crash that killed a member of the Miami Heat dance team. However the judge let the man go home with his partner after the verdict while a mistrial motion is considered over possible anti-gay bias on the part of the jury.

Mario Careaga, 46, faces 15 years in prison for driving drunk and crashing into the victim, 22, who had stopped her motorcycle on a gore along East Sunrise Boulevard at 9:38 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2010. Careaga was immediately handcuffed after the verdict was read, and members of the victim's family sobbed in the gallery. Careaga is gay, a fact the jury became aware of because one of the witnesses in the trial was Ray Stapleton, Careaga's partner of more than 20 years. Stapleton testified last week. Careaga took the stand on Monday. During Careaga's testimony, one juror was accused of mocking the defendant's voice after he asked for water. The same juror was accused of using an expletive to describe Bogenschutz. The juror denied both accusations, saying the only thing he did while Careaga was testifying was clear his throat. The courtroom was filled with friends, family and supporters of Careaga on one side and the family of the victim on the other. Both sides were quiet during the questioning of the jurors. None of the jurors confirmed the alternate's claims, but Holmes decided to hold off on formally entering the jury's verdict until Thursday morning, after she holds a hearing on the defense's motion for a mistrial.

Careaga's post-crash blood alcohol level was 0.24, three times the legal limit. His lawyer disputed that result, noting that witnesses reported that Careaga displayed no outward signs of drunkenness. The lawyer also pointed to surveillance video showing Careaga walking with no difficulty shortly before the accident. The high profile case has been hotly followed by South Florida news media, probably because the victim was a beautiful young girl. (Tipped by JMG reader John)

AUSTIN: Drunk Driver Plows Into SXSW Crowd, Two Killed, Dozens Injured

CNN reports:

An intoxicated driver fleeing police plowed his car into a crowd at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, killing two people, authorities said early Thursday. The man and woman killed were riding their light motorcycles, said Art Acevedo, chief of the Austin Police Department. At least 23 others were hospitalized, some with multiple internal injuries. A suspect is in custody and faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault by vehicle, Acevedo said. Before the incident, the man was driving the wrong direction on a one-way street. Authorities attempted to stop the car, but it sped off, almost hitting an officer, according to Acevedo. The car later ran into the crowd.

Billboard reports that among the acts performing last night were the 80s bands Spandau Ballet and X. Lady Gaga was nearby at the time and she posted the below tweet shortly after the incident.

MARYLAND: Anti-Gay State Rep. Don Dwyer Busted Again For Drunk Driving

Last year Maryland state GOP Rep. Don Dwyer was arrested for drunk boating after an accident that seriously injured six people, including four children. Dwyer later declared that he'd become a drunk because gay marriage had been legalized in Maryland. He then vowed to join Alcoholics Anonymous after pleading guilty in that case. Yesterday, he was busted once again for DUI.

A police officer who was driving a prisoner said he saw a vehicle "commit numerous traffic violations in a short period of time that posed an immediate safety risk for all other drivers" on Route 100 eastbound at Edwin Raynor Boulevard in Pasadena, according to a police report. The officer pulled over the car, a 2001 Cadillac DeVille. A second officer found Dwyer inside, with "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath," according to the police report. Dwyer, 55, told the second officer he had had two beers earlier in the evening and was coming home from a tavern in Baltimore, according to the police report. The officer wrote in the report that Dwyer had red, glossy eyes and a flushed face and his speech was slow and slurred. When Dwyer go out of the car, he was unstable and trouble keeping his balance, according to the police report.

Dwyer remains a member of the Maryland House Of Delegates and today even some GOP officials are demanding his resignation. (Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

RELATED: In 2011 Dwyer sat next to Maggie Gallagher during Maryland's marriage equality hearings, telling the committee that any state delegate that testified in favor of the bill should be "arrested for perjury" because saying that gay people deserve equality "is a lie and they know it." During the hearings Dwyer presented documents from the SPLC-certified hate group, MassResistance, claiming that gay activists want to introduce sadomasochism to grade school children. Dwyer also recorded an anti-gay robocall for NOM.

Another Drunk Driving Catholic Bishop

Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worchester, Massachusetts was arrested in Rhode Island last night and charged with drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and refusing a Breathlyzer test.

McManus is to be arraigned Tuesday in district court in Wakefield, R.I. “I made a terrible error in judgment by driving after having consumed alcohol with dinner,” McManus said in the statement. “There is no excuse for the mistake I made, only a commitment to make amends and accept the consequences of my action.” “More importantly,” he said, “I ask forgiveness from the good people whom I serve, as well as my family and friends, in the Diocese of Worcester and the Diocese of Providence.” Pope John Paul II appointed McManus as the fifth bishop of the Worcester diocese in 2004.

Last year McManus forced Anna Marie College to cancel a commencement address by Sen. Ted Kennedy's widow, allegedly because of her support for marriage equality. (Tipped by JMG reader Allen)

RELATED: San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was arrested for DUI in San Diego last August.

Drunk Driving SF Archbishop: Won't Somebody Please Think Of The Children?

"To legalize marriage between two people of the same sex would enshrine in the law the principle that mothers and fathers are interchangeable or irrelevant, and that marriage is essentially an institution about adults, not children; marriage would mean nothing more than giving adults recognition and benefits in their most significant relationship. How can we do this to our children? No matter what the Supreme Court rules, this debate is not over. Marriage is too important and the issues raised by treating same-gender unions as marriages are too fundamental to just go away.

"Just as Roe v. Wade did not end the conversation about abortion, so a ruling that tries to import same-sex marriage into our Constitution is not going to end the marriage debate, but intensify it. We will have a bitterly polarized country divided on the marriage issue for years if not generations to come." - San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, speaking to USA Today.  Cordileone goes on to cite numerous debunked stories about the oppression of Christians at the hands of homofascists.

NOM's Hate March: A Cavalcade Of Crackpottery And One Catholic Drunk

NOM today published the above list of speakers scheduled for their hate march on the Supreme Court.  Hopefully there'll be an open bar for busted drunk driver Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and an emergency Botox station for Concernstipated Women head Penny Nance.  And we can only presume that New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz will bring along the same speaker who told attendees at the last NOM hate march that homosexuals are "worthy of death."  As for "Bishop" Harry Jackson, let's just hope he doesn't curse the Washington Blade into bankruptcy, as he claims to have done with other "Satanic gay publications."  DC police should also keep an eye on Jim Garlow, who has called on pastors to emulate to the Founding Fathers and "pick up a musket" against evil homosexuals.

Gay Marriage Is Like Male Breastfeeding

"Fighting for marriage is our way of loving God, and the struggle is the particular gift that God has given our generation. This is our particular trial, and by overcoming it we may achieve spiritual greatness. It will entail suffering if we are to oppose gay marriage, something which poses such destruction to the understanding of natural marriage, which is a child-oriented institution. Legislating for the right for people of the same sex to marry is like legalising male breastfeeding." - San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore "DUI" Cordileone, speaking to the UK's Catholic Herald.

SAN FRANCISCO: Drunk Driving Archbishop Denounces DOMA Ruling

"The recognition that marriage is and can only be the union of one man and one woman is grounded in our nature, being clear from the very way our bodies are designed.This recognition obliges our consciences and laws. It is a matter of basic rights—the right of every child to be welcomed and raised, as far as possible, by his or her mother and father together in a stable home. Marriage is the only institution whereby a man and a woman unite for life and are united to any child born from their union. The public good demands that the unique meaning and purpose of marriage be respected in law and society, not rejected as beyond the constitutional pale. Redefining marriage never upholds the equal dignity of individuals because it contradicts basic human rights." - San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore "Father Of Prop 8" Cordileone, telling Catholic World News that last week's overturn of DOMA was "unjust and a great disappointment."

Drunk Driving SF Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone Pleads To Lesser Charge

On Monday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone pleaded guilty to reckless driving rather than face trial for his drunk driving arrest in August.

A spokeswoman with the City Attorney's Office said the reduction is commonly offered in cases in which no bad driving is noted and suspects had fair to moderate performances on field sobriety tests, among other factors. Cordileone was placed on three years’ probation and ordered to pay a fine. He also will have to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim-impact panel and a three-month first conviction program through the state Department of Motor Vehicles. After his arrest, he issued a statement saying he was stopped when driving his mother home after having dinner at the home of some friends. He said his blood-alcohol level was over the 0.08 percent limit for California drivers. Court records show it measured 0.11 percent within three hours of the stop. Cordileone apologized for his “error in judgment” and asked for forgiveness from his family, friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and Archdiocese of San Francisco.

RELATED: Yesterday GetEQUAL and other groups protested Cordileone's official installation as Archbishop. More photos here.

Drunk Driving Archbishop Says Gays Are Too Sinful To Receive Communion

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who was busted for drunk driving last month, says sexually active gay Catholics should not receive Holy Communion. 

Cordileone was circumspect when discussing the "cultural challenges" his new diocese would present — which he said revolved around "issues of family life and, essentially, come down to our understanding of the human person, the purpose of our human sexuality, what God calls us to do and how he calls us to live and how he calls us to love." But in a recent interview at the headquarters of the Oakland diocese, where he has served as bishop for three years, Cordileone was more direct: Gays and lesbians who are in sexual relationships of any kind, he said, should not receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, the central ritual of Catholic life. "If we misuse the gift of sexuality, we're going to suffer the consequences," he said, "and I firmly believe we are suffering the consequences."

Cordileone is heralded as the "father of Proposition 8" by NOM and other anti-gay hate groups.

Donohue On DUI Archbishop: Yes He Was Drunk, But OMG Gay People Are Horrible!

"This won’t be the end of this story, but not because of what happened. What counts is who it happened to. It just so happens that Cordileone holds orthodox Catholic positions on sexuality, the kind of views hated by both secularists and left-wing Catholics. [snip] Gay blog sites have also picked up on this theme. Why? San Francisco is a city where men [read: gays] are free to walk around naked in the street in front of women and children. They can even walk into McDonalds totally nude and park themselves next to Ronald McDonald, provided, the law says, they place a towel on their seat (hygiene matters). Next month homosexuals will whip each other in the street and have sex in public at the Folsom Street Fair. This is the city that Cordileone will soon inherit." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue.

SF Archbishop Apologizes For DUI Arrest

"While visiting in San Diego this past weekend, I had dinner at the home of some friends along with a priest friend visiting from outside the country and my mother, who lives near San Diego State University. While driving my mother home, I passed through a DUI checkpoint the police had set up near the SDSU campus before I reached her home, and was found to be over the California legal blood alcohol level.

"I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself. I will repay my debt to society and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this." - Salvatore Cordileone.

RELATED: Some commenters on Catholic and anti-gay sites are claiming that Cordileone was setup by homofascists. SRSLY.

CALIFORNIA: San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore "Father Of Prop 8" Cordileone Busted For Drunk Driving

The brand new Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, has been arrested for drunk driving. Cordileone is widely considered the "father of Proposition 8."

Police in San Diego say Bishop Salvatore Cordileone was arrested over the weekend for driving under the influence. Police say it happened in San Diego's College District just before 12:30 Saturday morning. Bishop Cordileone is currently bishop of Oakland -- a post he's held since 2009. Last month Pope Benedict chose Bishop Cordileone to become archbishop of San Francisco -- replacing retiring Archbishop George Niederaur. He's scheduled to assume the new post in October.

I'll have the delicious mug shot ASAP. (Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

MARYLAND: Anti-Gay Del. Don Dwyer Drunkenly Injures Six In Boat Crash

Maryland police are weighing felony charges against virulently anti-gay state Del. Don Dwyer after he was found to have a blood alcohol level at well more than twice the legal limit when he crashed his boat into another one, seriously injuring six people, including himself. Four of those injured are children. UPDATE: Police say that Dwyer self-reported a blood alcohol level of .20. The police test taken at the scene is not expected back for two weeks and the cops say they have no idea where Dwyer came up with that number. It's possible the hospital tested him too. The legal limit in Maryland is .08.

Dwyer was in a wheelchair with a neck brace on and a cast around his left foot during the news conference outside Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He spoke from prepared statements and answered no questions from reporters before being wheeled back into the hospital by a nurse. Sgt. Brian Albert, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources Police, said investigators suspected alcohol was a factor in the accident. He said Dwyer had one passenger, identified as John Edward Moran IV. Dwyer had not been charged with a crime as of Thursday evening. A legislator convicted of a felony crime or a crime of "moral turpitude" must relinquish his or her seat.

RELATED: You may recall that last year Dwyer sat next to Maggie Gallagher during Maryland's marriage equality hearings, telling the committee that any state delegate that testified in favor of the bill should be "arrested for perjury" because saying that gay people deserve equality "is a lie and they know it." During the hearings Dwyer presented documents from the SPLC-certified hate group, MassResistance, claiming that gay activists want to introduce sadomasochism to grade school children. Dwyer also recorded an anti-gay robocall for NOM. (Tipped by JMG reader Stuart)