See NY Const. Art. 1, Sec. 3
Newsday > Long Island
Gay church volunteer's request for reinstatement denied
Photo credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara | Nicholas Coppola,
left, and his husband David Crespo in their Oceanside home. (April 4,
2013)
Same-sex couples wed
Cake boss bakes for same-sex wedding
Wedding preparations 
Same-sex couples marry around New York
Inside LI same-sex couple's wedding
Long Island weddings
Nicholas Coppola delivered petitions requesting the reinstatement to the Rockville Centre offices of Bishop William Murphy on Thursday morning. The nationwide online petition, signed by 18,500 supporters, was organized by Faithful America, a Washington, D.C.-based group that opposes "right-wing extremism."
The diocese responded that it would not return Coppola to his duties because by marrying last October under New York State's same-sex marriage law he took a public position against Church teachings.
"The Catholic Church recognizes that all persons share equally in the dignity of being human and are entitled to have that human dignity protected," the diocese said in a statement. "This does not, however, justify the creation of a new definition for marriage, a term whose traditional meaning is of critical importance to the furtherance of fundamental societal interests."
Before the diocese issued its statement, Coppola said he remained hopeful the church would respond to the petitions. He said he has received a tremendous outpouring of support -- flowers were even left on his doorstep Wednesday.
"I hope that today, Bishop Murphy and the Diocese of Rockville Centre will understand the depth of support Catholics have for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender friends and family," Coppola said at a news conference in front of the diocesan office just before delivering the petitions. "I also hope that they understand how many of us call the Catholic Church our home, and that we want to be in the church, active and involved."
In January, Coppola, 47, was removed from his duties at St. Anthony's parish as eucharistic minister, religion teacher and visitor for the homebound sick after the diocese received an anonymous letter complaining that he is gay.
Reinstating Coppola is "a major opportunity for Bishop Murphy and for Catholic bishops across the country to begin practicing Christian love when it comes to their gay and lesbian parishioners," said Michael Sherrard of Faithful America.
But William Donohue of the conservative Manhattan-based Catholic League said the church made the right decision. "Just as it is the right of a yeshiva to insist that its employees abide by Judaic strictures, it is the right of a Catholic school to insist that its employees respect Catholic teachings," he said.
Coppola has been openly gay at the parish for years. Last October, he married David Crespo, 47, under New York State's same-sex-marriage law. Coppola said about a dozen parishioners attended the wedding, along with some clergy.
The diocese has said the decision to remove him was made by St. Anthony's pastor, the Rev. Nicholas Lombardi, but that Lombardi made the correct move. Diocese spokesman Sean Dolan has said that anyone in public ministerial positions in the church must take public positions consistent with Catholic teachings.
Coppola disputed that, and said Lombardi was ordered by the diocese to oust him.
Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City, have made statements recently that the church, while not abandoning its teaching that marriage should be between a man and woman, should be more welcoming to homosexuals.
Letter: Why close racetrack on Palm Sunday?
Photo credit: AP | In this photo provided by New York Racing Association,
Stay Thirsty, left, with Ramon Dominguez aboard, captures The G1 Cigar
Mile horse race at Aqueduct in New York. (Nov. 24, 2012)
To see what's wrong up in Albany,
one only needs to look at the fact that the Aqueduct Racetrack was
closed on Palm Sunday. On an average Sunday, The Big A has a total
handle of between $6 million and $7 million, of which New York State takes a percentage.Racing also injects money into the industry, paying jockeys, trainers, grooms, etc. Hundreds of employees -- pari-mutuel clerks and racing officials -- help put on the show, which the state gets a piece of in income taxes.
All of this, worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, was lost because on an antiquated law. Not being allowed to race on Christmas or Easter is OK, but Palm Sunday? The New York Racing Authority races on Thanksgiving, and that's a holiday that the vast majority of us celebrate.
Changing this law would be a slam-dunk revenue creator.
Gerard Bringmann, Patchogue
Editor's note: The writer is both a racing fan and a practicing Catholic.
You can't close Nassau OTB on Roman Catholic Palm Sunday in preference to Greek Orthodox Palm Sunday.
You can't close Nassau OTB on Roman Catholic Easter Sunday in preference to Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday.
If you are not Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox your preference is of no import to the State of New York.
See NY PML Sec 109.
There should be separation of church and state?
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