Judge Refuses to Sentence Convicted Gay Activists
By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Sat Feb 01, 2003 at 01:26:51 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Posted on Sat Feb 01, 2003 at 01:26:51 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Three gay Catholics were refused communion at Mass. The next day they knelt in lobby of the hotel where Bishops were holding a conference, again seeking communion and an explanation for the refusal the day before. They were arrested for unlawful entry, and convicted at a non-jury trial. The Judge apologized for what happened to them and refused to impose sentence, other than a mandatory Crime Victim Fund cost assessment. The Judge said to the three:
"Tremendous violence was done to you...when the Body of Christ was denied to you," Edwards said, referring to the contention of the three that refusal of Holy Communion had prompted their actions. "As a member of your church, I ask you to forgive the church."The Church claims it was a case of mistaken identity.
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