Catholic Church Even Persecutes the Dead

March 17, 2005

Diocese of San Diego denies Catholic funeral rites to bar owner

A member of the Greater San Diego Business Association and owner of two gay bars has been denied a funeral at the University of San Diego and in any Catholic church or chapel in the Diocese of San Diego.

Well isn't that just special, folks? Let's all thank the Catholic Church for its attempt to start pogroms in the US.

John McCusker, 31, owner of Club Montage and ReBar, two local gay nightspots, died early March 13. McCusker suffered an apparent heart attack while at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort on vacation. The bars are closed indefinitely according to a notice on the Club Montage Web site....

A 1996 graduate of USD, McCusker's family wanted to have the funeral service there, but was denied after church officials received information about him and his businesses...

"We all know what this is about," Joyce Marieb executive director of the Greater San Diego Business Association said, who knew McCusker for the past five and a half years. "They [the Catholic Church] claim they've buried other gay people and that it's because of the bar aspect."

Yes we all do know what this is about. This is the Catholic Church, not individual Catholics but the Vatican, doing its damnedest to create an atmosphere of hatred for LGBT folks across the nation, even those who aren't Catholic. This is the Catholic Church attempting to impose its own particular brand of spiritual violence on all of the citizens of this country.

A statement released earlier Thursday by Rodrigo Valdivia, chancellor for the Diocese of San Diego, explains the church's actions.

"The facts regarding the business activity of John McCusker were not known by church officials when arrangements were requested for his funeral. When these facts became known the bishop of San Diego concluded that to avoid public scandal Mr. McCusker can't be granted a funeral in a Catholic church or chapel in the Diocese of San Diego..."

WHAT PUBLIC SCANDAL? A pillar of the business community has died. He was respected and loved by other business men and women in San Diego and he always had time to help others. He paid his taxes, put back into the community more than he took from it.

"His business is adult entertainment, which is inconsistent with Catholic teaching" Valdivia said. "People would be scandalized that the church granted a funeral to a person who had this type of business activity."

Isn't that just utter codswallop? Spanish Inquistion, eh, what, Rodrigo? Wouldn't it be nice if no one had to expect the Spanish Inquisition for a change?

But, according to Valdivia, the Catholic Church does not consider all bars and clubs "adult entertainment."

"There's a lot of different things that can play into what would make a business activity something that was notoriously against Catholic teaching or not. It would not necessarily be if (the club) was gay or not."

When asked what about McCusker or his business goes against Catholic teaching, Valdivia said he couldn't say, for legal reasons.

Yeah, right. What a god damned liar, literally. What a cowardly little man in an ugly black dress.

Marieb also said there will be a community meeting on Monday at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of San Diego to discuss this issue.

If you can offer some assistance or support to them, contact them via Email; or if you're local you might call (619) 692-2077

McCusker's memorial service is now planned for 11 a.m., March 18 at St. Paul's Cathedral, an Episcopal church.

Burn up the phone lines and Email conduits. Contact the Catholic Diocese of San Diego and let them know what you think about their totally inhumane, not to mention un-Christian, hate and bigotry. Phone: 858-490-8200. Better yet, Email them