Catholic Bishops of Virginia and Priest Oppose Virginia Governor McAuliffe Leading St Patrick's Day Parade in Norfolk

As a Catholic Christian, a member of the Clergy of this Diocese, and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, I am appalled by the actions of this one regional council #3548.

Every year, the City of Norfolk hosts a St Patrick's Day Parade. A local Knights of Columbus Council have sponsored the parade for decades.This year, a local regional Knights Council, against the clear direction of the local Catholic pastor, a courageous and faithful young priest named Father Dan Beeman, chose Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe as a Grand Marshall to lead the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. The Virginia Governors positions against the fundamental right to life of children in the womb, as well as his rejection of the truth concerning the unchangeable nature of marriage - as solely between one man and one woman, open to life, intended for life and formative of family - are directly at odds with the teaching of the Church in which he claims membership, the Catholic Church. They are also a rejection of the Natural Moral Law and injure the REAL common good.

NORFOLK, VA (Catholic Online) - Most of my readers know that I live in Chesapeake, Virginia. Often, in my National work, people mistakenly think that when I say I live in Chesapeake, I am referring to Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.

I explain to them that the City of Chesapeake is a part of a beautiful region of the Commonwealth of Virginia referred to as both "Hampton Roads" (a nautical term) and "Tidewater" - the origin of which I am not really clear on myself. That does not help much. So, I explain that the City of Chesapeake adjoins the Cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Then the light seems to dawn.

We are located in Southeastern Virginia, an area which the new Public Relations group trying to attract tourism to our region has asked us to call Coastal Virginia. That is because of our access to Virginia Beach, proximity to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and access to beautiful waterways. 

I love living in Chesapeake, Virginia. Though I travel nationally - and have lived in Northern Virginia for graduate studies and public policy advocacy - I always come home.The climate, the beauty and the people make me so happy to call Chesapeake, and the entire tidewater region, home.  

I am a Catholic Deacon of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. The parish which serves as my home base, St Stephen, Martyr, is about ten miles from the North Carolina border. The Diocese of Richmond is huge in geographical mass. It covers much of the Commonwealth. My Bishop is Bishop Francis X DiLorenzo.

The Northeastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia is in the Diocese of Arlington.  It is smaller in land mass, but includes the population density associated with the District of Columbia. The Bishop of Arlington is Bishop Paul Loverde. Bishop Loverde is the State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.

Because of my ministry, legal and public policy work at the intersection of faith and culture - and because I am a public Catholic Christian engaged in building ecumenical alliances - I am deluged by mail from people standing up for the fundamental human right to life and the unchangeable truth about marriage. The emails come from around the nation, and beyond. 

However, recent emails have concerned a particular event taking place in my own backyard, in Norfolk, Virginia. I must address it.

Every year, the City of Norfolk hosts a St Patrick's Day Parade. A local Knights of Columbus Council have sponsored the parade for decades. This year, a local regional Knights Council, against the clear direction of the local Catholic pastor, a courageous and faithful young priest named Father Dan Beeman, chose Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe as a Grand Marshall to lead the Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

The Virginia Governors positions against the fundamental right to life of children in the womb, as well as his rejection of the truth concerning the unchangeable nature of marriage - as solely between one man and one woman, open to life, intended for life and formative of family - are directly at odds with the teaching of the Church in which he claims membership, the Catholic Church. They are also a rejection of the Natural Moral Law and injure the REAL common good.

Father Dan Beeman wrote a brilliant letter concerning this errant decision by the regional chapter and took the proper action. He is the pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Norfolk, Virginia.

His well-written letter can be read in its entirety here. I encourage my readers to do so. I particularly encourage the clergy who read me on Catholic Online, and other venues, to read this excellent letter. However, in the interest of brevity, I  share only a short excerpt. I do so to demonstrate the kind of Catholic priests we need throughout the Church in this new missionary age:

"Governor McAuliffe stands contrary to the Catholic Church in not one but many of the most essential teachings of the Church in the political arena.  He himself promised to be a "brick wall" against restrictions on abortion, has taken away commonsense protections for women in abortion facilities and lowered safety standards, and consistently takes money from pro-abortion lobbying groups. 

"Further, he not only favors the re-definition of marriage, he himself performed a gay "marriage" as soon as a court overturned the law of the Commonwealth.  Marriage and Life are two of the foundational efforts of the Knights of Columbus as a national organization, so it is dumbfounding how the Knights could then decide to honor the Governor."

Along with Father Dan Beeman, I am saddened by this turn of events in Norfolk, Virginia. However, I will go a step further, I am maddened. As a Catholic Christian, a member of the Clergy of this Diocese, and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, I am appalled by the actions of this one regional council #3548.

They acted in a manner which is at odds with the clear teaching of the Catholic Church. Their actions will cause scandal, confusion and division - not only among Catholics, but with other Christians.  As someone who is engaged in building alliances with Christians from across the confessional spectrum, I am tired of having to try to explain such actions.

They KNOW our Church is crystal clear in her teaching. They simply ask the question which really needs to be asked - why do professing Catholics act in a manner at odds with such clear teaching? 

However, I take heart in the response of this good and faithful priest, Father Dan Beeman. And now, I am happy to call the attention of our readers around the globe to the courageous stand of both Catholic Bishops of Virginia. I conclude with the statement which they just released.

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March 11, 2015

From Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond, and Bishop Paul S. Loverde, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington and State Chaplain of the Virginia State Council of the Knights of Columbus,

Joint Statement on the Norfolk St. Patrick's Day Parade

We are aware that the Knights of Columbus Council #3548 has extended an invitation to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to serve as Grand Marshal of the 2015 Norfolk Saint Patrick's Day Parade which the Governor has accepted.

Council #3548, a regional, not parish council, has sponsored and organized this parade since its inception in 1967. The invitation was issued without the advice or consent of the local parish priest, the local bishop, or the Knights state council.

Together with our brother bishops, we have been clear, consistent and firm in upholding the truths reflected in the fundamental doctrine and moral principles of our faith. It is an erroneous and serious mistake in judgment for any Catholic organization to grant awards, honors and platforms to any public person who clearly acts in defiance to Catholic teaching (cf. "Catholics in Political Life", USCCB, June 2004).

While one must always respect the Office of the Governor and the person holding that office, and dialogue should be fostered, one cannot deny that the Governor has made public statements in opposition to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church on issues pertaining to the dignity of human life and marriage.

We fully support the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which promotes decision-making taking place at the local level whenever possible. However, the decision of the local council to invite the Governor to be the Grand Marshal does not reflect the stance of the Knights of Columbus international order, the Bishops of the Dioceses of Richmond or Arlington, or the Catholic Church.

In addition, we support the local parish, Catholic schools and entities that have decided that, in this case, adhering to their faith means withdrawing from the parade.

The Knights of Columbus are called to live out and uphold the truths of our Catholic faith. As we go forward, we are confident that every council of Knights of Columbus within the Commonwealth of Virginia will carefully weigh future invitations and selections in light of the fullness of Church teaching.

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Deacon Keith A. Fournier is Founder and Chairman of Common Good Foundation and Common Good Alliance. A married Roman Catholic Deacon of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, he and his wife Laurine have five grown children and seven grandchildren. He is a human rights lawyer and public policy advocate who served as the first and founding Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice in the nineteen nineties and has long been active at the intersection of faith and culture. He serves as Special Counsel to Liberty Counsel. He is a senior contributing writer to The Stream.

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