Westminster 'Gay' Masses a platform for the promotion of immorality

Update: a spokeman for the SMPC has sent us a response:

Not for the first time does your blog continue to promote misinformation about the Soho Masses Pastoral Council. The SMPC is not taking part in the Pride London Parade. It is taking the opportunity to provide information, advice, and pastoral contact by having a stall in the market-place for community organisations in the Trafalgar Square event which is quite separate from the Parade. The event includes Police, Trades Unions, and registered charities covering a range of issues, not solely concerned with LGBT matters, and a variety of speakers including the Mayor of London and Government Ministers. The conditions for holding such stalls are strictly administered and accountable to local bye-laws as well as Health & Safety regulations. There is no question of the SMPC, nor as far as we are aware of any other Catholic or Christian group ‘promoting immorality’.

Interestingly the concrete charge they deny is not one the CFNews item makes: that they are going on the parade. The fact that they wish to dissociate themselves from the parade suggests that they recognise that it is pretty hard to defend, from a Catholic point of view. But they go further than CFNews by confirming that, not only in the past have they run a stall, but they will be doing it this year too. The suggestion that the the Trafalgar Square stalls are 'quite separate' from the Parade is disingenuous but irrelevant: both are organised by Pride London (see the special page on their website here) and both promote immorality by celebrating the immoral gay subculture. The whole event is promoted in SMPC's literatures, handed out to Mass-goers.

Briefing 21/06/08

From CFNews: The Soho Masses Pastoral Council (SMPC) is using its Masses in Soho to advertise and promote the annual 'Gay Pride' march through London, taking place this year on Saturday, July 5th ('Bring your Prince Charming, your Belle, or even your beast, and join us for one of the most visually spectacular Pride's ever'). The SMPC, in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Caucus of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (RCCLGCM), has in the past run a stall at this event with the dissenting group 'Catholics for Aids Prevention and Support'. The SMPC Mass leaflet for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time confirms that they are taking a stall again at this year's 'Gay Pride' event. The SMPC continues to operate with the approval of the Archdiocese of Westminster. [CFNews]