They were issued a citation on Saturday, June 5, 2021, that told them to take the flag down by June 15 or pay a $50 daily fine. Plominski and Ferrari had been living in the small suburban development for about 10 years. The couple, however, has no intention of taking it down. Eastland Cove, Fla., residents Mike Ferrari and Bob Plominski found themselves in a fight with the Eastland Cove Homeowners Association for displaying the Pride flag on their mailbox that they had put up to celebrate Pride Month. “And, while we teach that everyone is created in the image and likeness of God, gay pride flags are often used to stand in contrast to consistent Catholic teaching that sacramental marriage is between a man and a woman,” the bishop continued.A Florida homeowners association has ordered a gay couple to remove a small rainbow flag the size of a sheet of paper from their front yard. “We do not teach that in our schools,” Bishop McManus said.
“While the Catholic Church joins with our nation in teaching that all lives are equal before God and the law and that all lives demand our respect regardless of race, gender or ethnicity, the flag with the emblem Black Lives Matter has at times been co-opted by some factions which also instill broad-brush distrust of police and those entrusted with enforcing our laws. “While our role in a school is not to convert those who are not Catholic, nor is it our role to deny our Catholic identity,” he added. While noting that “symbols can mean different things to different people,” Bishop McManus said that “as the Bishop of this diocese, I must teach that it is imperative that a Catholic School use imagery and symbols which are reflective of that school’s values and principles so as to be clear with young people who are being spiritually and morally formed for the future.” As Jesuit, Catholic institutions, we also share similar values – a founding commitment to the needs and dignity of the less fortunate and a belief in the worth of each person made in the image and likeness of God. “Our two institutions’ histories are enduringly linked, and we are both proud to serve the people, city and diocese of Worcester. More importantly, the president wants to emphasize that the Nativity School and its students remain central to this story.”
When asked if the college agrees with the student-led petition to disinvite Bishop McManus from graduation, Holy Cross said: “Bishop McManus has communicated to President Rougeau that he will not be attending commencement.
The petition continues: “As a community that welcomes members of every gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, we find it inappropriate to have Bishop McManus present at this year’s graduation ceremony for the Class of 2022 and thus request that he be disinvited from attendance.” Unfortunately, the Bishop’s statements demonstrate ignorant and bigoted sentiments which fail to align with the long-held values that guide our community.” The petition says, “In contrast to our values, the Bishop has insisted that Nativity School remove Black Lives Matter and Pride flags from their campus or face the consequence of losing the school’s Catholic identity. Bishop McManus didn’t attend in 2020 or 2021 either.ĭelisle told CNA that Bishop McManus was not open to interviews on the matter because after communicating to Rougeau that he wouldn’t be attending, Bishop McManus “wanted to leave it at that.” Bishop McManus turned down invitations to attend commencement at Holy Cross in both 20 according to the Telegram & Gazette. Students, staff, and alumni at the College of the Holy Cross are petitioning the administration to disinvite Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester from attending this year’s graduation ceremony because they say his request of a local Catholic school to cease flying gay pride and Black Lives Matter flags are “antithetical to the ideals, values, and mission” of the college.Ī spokesman for the Diocese of Worcester, Ray Delisle, told CNA that Bishop McManus communicated to the school’s president, Vincent Rougeau, that he would not be attending commencement this year.ĭelisle did not respond to CNA’s inquiry whether the bishop’s decision to not attend was in response to the petition.