San Francisco, Calif., Oct 16, 2007 / 07:32 am
Archbishop George Niederauer recently made a public apology for giving Holy Communion to two so-called "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence," a transvestite homosexual group that mockingly dresses as nuns. He mistakenly gave Communion to some members of the group at a Mass the he celebrated at Most Holy Redeemer church in San Francisco.
Despite the archbishop's regrets over the event, the Most Holy Redeemer parish bulletin published an e-mail from one "sister" in its most recent bulletin thanking the parish for the Mass. "Sister Delta Goodhand" wrote: "Your entire congregation was so welcoming and it was great to be able to participate in the Mass. The service was absolutely beautiful and I know that I personally walked away very inspired by both the Archbishop’s message and the angelic voices of your choir ringing in my ears! Amazing!"
The mock-nun also claimed a parishioner offered his group pins that read “MHRC: An Inclusive Catholic Church.”
In his apology, Archbishop Niederauer condemned the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence." "The manner of dress and public comportment of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is deeply offensive to women religious and to the witness of holiness and Christian service that women religious have offered to the Church and to the world for centuries,” said the archbishop. “The citizens of San Francisco have ample reason to be grateful to women religious for their unfailing support of those most in need, and to be deeply offended when that service is belittled so outrageously and offensively.”