Statement Regarding Los Angeles Dodgers Honoring Catholic Hate Group

   I am a huge baseball fan. My Father played professional baseball and was inducted in the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall Fame. My Mother made sure that my Brother and I were baseball enthusiasts as a way of honoring and keeping the memory of my Father. My Father was a catcher and caught for Stan Musial when he was a Minor League Pitcher, before the Cardinals figured out that Stan was a better hitter than a pitcher.

   With many other Catholics and non-Catholics who oppose religious bigotry, I am appalled and disgusted by the Dodgers honoring a group that calls themselves the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This group openly mocks Catholic beliefs, and their actions are nothing less than blasphemous. Though the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence historically advocated for the underserved population of victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, they now promote ideologies that have the effect of condoning sexual promiscuity, the behavior that was responsible for the spread of AIDS and the deaths of many individuals with same-sex attraction. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence should not be honored for providing some measure of care for those whose ideology helped to escalate the AIDS epidemic.

   Tommy Lasorda would be appalled by the Dodgers actions. When Tommy was managing the Dodgers and they came to St. Louis, he would always give some of his complimentary tickets to Catholic Religious Sisters. The real heroines for the care of HIV-positive patients are groups like Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity, who operated AIDS hospice care facilities.

   I implore the owners of the Kansas City Royals to communicate their disapproval to the Dodgers’ management for their actions that show disrespect for the Catholic Faith. I encourage Catholics to boycott the Dodgers until they apologize for their offensive actions.

   I encourage the management of Major League Baseball to not allow baseball to be used to advance ideologies that are offensive to many of their customers. Please allow baseball fans to enjoy America’s past-time without having to be subjected to blasphemy and the mockery of the deeply held religious beliefs of many of its players and fans.