Posted: Dec. 17, 2018
At a recent funeral of a teenager who had committed suicide, a Michigan priest gave a homily in which he repeatedly wondered aloud if a teenager who committed suicide was going to hell.
The priest’s words went against the explicit wishes of the family - and also official church teaching, which takes a nuanced view of suicide and mental illness and offers hope for salvation.
The Archdiocese of Detroit says it will more closely supervise Fr. Don LaCuesta, but that simply isn’t enough. The family is asking that he be removed as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Temperance, Michigan.
This story is making national headlines, and the archdiocese needs to ensure that Father LaCuesta doesn’t traumatize any more families - and send a message that this outdated and harmful theology isn’t what Catholics believe.
Sign the petition:
Love thy neighbor.