I'm loath to criticize any church, but this is beyond the pale. Blackmail is disgustingly hypocritical for any moral institution, but for the Roman Catholic Church to do this is a stunning abandonment of Christ's mission, and beggars whatever moral standing the RCC has left.

Go for it. Call their bluff. Let the mask come off.

Yes, do what we say or the poor guy gets it. Sounds very Christ like, eh? And these guys have tax exempt status.

Because that's what Jesus would do. Can the religious go fuck themselves now? I'm really tired of their terrorism.

That is certainly not suprising from an institution that killed thousands during the incusition, suported and encouraged SLAVERY, made a deal with hitler when he killed thousands of JEWS.

Religion itself is a cancer on mankind and the day it goes away mankind will be better off. I expect nothing more from something so ungodly and evil. It baffles me how 90% of the world's porpulation is so blind to believe anything from these blood sucking VAMPIRES.

Yet another reason I have no hesitance whatsoever in calling out these sleazy religious type for what they are: human scum.

I say let them 'pull out' of D.C. (a highly appropriate term, given their penchant for little boys) and withdraw into the wilds of the Blue Ridge. And leave D.C. to the secular groups that do real good without despoiling little children as a price tag.

i'm sorry, i'm catholic, but this is so stupid and disgraceful.

i dont know what the catholic church authority is about anymore.

i think they are more focused on being conservative than actually being christ-like, which is realise isquite different from being a christian.

Throughout history the roman catholic church is about power and an authority over the society. It has not and will be about being 'christ-like'. I am hoping that DC will tell them to take their message on down the road!

Why all the hate speech? Why not take the high road? Open up your wallets and cover the loss. It's really that simple. The church has the right to do as they please with their money. I'm sure that 10 mil. will be used to help the poor, somewhere.

This is the perfect opportunity for liberals to demonstrate their deep, personal commitment to the poor and shine like a beacon of light for all.

Fine. See ya.

Signed, the IRS.

how REPUBLICAN of you to punish those who have done nothing wrong....wait a minute, those people CHOSE to be poor.

WWJD? in true republican fashion, he would jackboot those poor people into submission and then punish them for being so insolent. as to ahve a government that would allow for gay marriage to be legal. much less accepted.

What would Jesus say?

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” Matthew 22:21

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2

"'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: '"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" Matthew 22:36-40

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"
(Matthew 25.35-40

Allow gay marriage and I'll shoot my dog.

This is a bluff by the bishop of the diocese. He wouldn't/couldn't stop the laity from providing services even if he wanted to. Washington DC should call his stupid bluff and leave some real egg on the guy's face.

I'm a social justice-oriented Catholic and I'm confident that this bishop is bluffing or he's totally deranged. Either way, it's an empty, stupid threat.

There must be a considerable number of gays with discretionary income in the DC area. Maybe they ought to pick up the contracts the Church drops and turn the tables on the hypocrites.

This is one of the reasons why I left the Catholic Church. The Faith of my youth which I loved beyond words. No more.
Since the Church insists on being a Political Advocacy Group, then their Tax Exempt Status should be voided. Tax them and lets see what happens.

Oh! That's why I rejected Catholicism! Thanks for the reminder TPM!

The way religious organizations get their contracts is by abiding by the rules of the funders (usually government) that includes not discriminating in service or hiring. Often they do this by setting up a parallel but separate entity.

As other posters have pointed out, the church does not need to take government contracts, while these social services are to help the needy, if the church is not funding or supplementing the amount of the contract, are they truly providing charity in these services. Will someone else jump at the chance to get those contracts and serve the community.

I would be really interested to hear how much of the $10 million is church money vs DC gov't money. Of those homeless beds they provide, do they get any government money for them? If I was a city council member, I would have the DC Child and Family Services Agency staff get that information and document how much the Catholic Church receives in public funding to provide social services. That is very different than the church providing their own charity with their own money.

Is the country then going to be hostage to the whim of the catholic church - which imagines itself very much more important than it really is?

This is a civil rights issue. Let the catholic church be on the wrong side of THAT and see how that sits with Americans.

Let's then strip them of their tax-exempt status too.

DC needs to pass the Gay marriage law rather than set a precedent that the catholic church can push the rest of the country around. If they get their way in DC - they'll do it elsewhere in the country.

Let them deal with the fallout of their unchristian-like behavior.
*

This comes from the top. Look to the Pope for the orders these bishops are marching to.

The real test for whether the church actually practices the charity taught by Christ will be whether they maintain those homeless beds on their own, after they leave their affiliation with DC. If they honestly believe homosexuality is a sin, they will expose themselves as hypocrites by rejecting the person they accuse of being a "sinner." I don't deny there have always been virulent homophobes in the patriarchy of the RC church, but the virulence has certainly increased since the ascent of Pope Benedict, who I believe promotes these arrogant policies.

Let's keep the focus on what they are actually saying; the Catholic church says it will intentionally punish the weak, the poor, the sick, the homeless, and the children, if a governmental entity recognizes a CIVIL contract between two consenting adults?

How christian of them.