O'Malley won't attend charities' dinner

Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley has canceled plans to attend the annual Christmas dinner for Catholic Charities next month because the event is honoring Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a supporter of Catholic Charities who has also been an outspoken advocate of abortion rights and same-sex marriage.

O'Malley's decision came after a conservative Catholic group, the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, called on Roman Catholics to boycott the fund-raiser to send a message that Catholic leaders in public office should not be honored if they ignore the Vatican's teachings on major social issues.

Some Catholics had argued that such a boycott would only hurt the poor who are served by Catholic Charities, an arm of the archdiocese that provides discounted fuel, food, and other basic services to 150,000 needy people every year. But O'Malley's decision puts him squarely among those who argued that to honor Menino at the fund-raiser would be to contravene the most basic precepts of Catholicism.

Also yesterday, in a letter sent to the nearly 300 parishes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, O'Malley called for Catholics to join in eradicating prejudice against homosexuals. The letter, issued before the Vatican's expected announcement next week of a policy banning gays from entering the priesthood, was sent a day after Catholic Charities announced the archbishop would not be attending their annual dinner.

''In light of the Mayor's past statements concerning abortion and same-sex marriage policies, the Archbishop regrets that he cannot attend the dinner," said a statement dated Tuesday by Catholic Charities. ''In doing this he acts in accord with the US Catholic Bishops policy regarding public officials who are in conflict with Catholic teaching on specific issues, a policy formulated at plenary session of the Bishops' conference in June of 2004."

The bishops' statement said Catholic organizations should not provide honors for Catholic leaders who publicly contravene the faith's teachings. A similar call by Catholic clergy during the 2004 presidential campaign led some church leaders to say that US Senator John F. Kerry should not have been given Communion because he is an active supporter of abortion rights.

Seth Gitell, a spokesman for Menino, said that ''the mayor understands the difficult position the archbishop is in, particularly given the position of the bishops' conference. At the same time, the mayor looks forward to an important, vibrant event that focuses on his core mission and the core mission of Catholic Charities -- helping people."

Some conservative Catholics yesterday applauded O'Malley's decision to withdraw from the dinner, scheduled for Dec. 9.

C. J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League, said last night that members of his group were delighted with O'Malley's decision to withdraw from the event. ''We thought it was an act of courage and integrity and of fidelity to the teachings of the church," he said.

Doyle said that his group found it ''incomprehensible why any Catholic organization would want to honor someone who has spent a career publicly undermining" Catholic teachings.

Another group applauded the decision, but also insisted that Catholic Charities rescind its invitation to Menino. ''The archbishop has agreed not to attend, but that is not enough for us," said Carol McKinley of Pembroke, a leader of Faithful Voice. ''We want Menino disinvited. Our next move is to go back to the prolife community and say how can any prolifer attend if he is not attending? He is a witness and example for you, isn't he? We knew it would be very difficult for him to attend because of the intensity of support we were receiving from the prolife community."

Menino has found common ground with O'Malley in his support for the Labouré Center, which provides social services in South Boston; the completion of the Yawkey Center, a $10 million hub for child care and other services in Dorchester; and in his personal donations to Catholic Charities, the largest private social-services agency in Massachusetts, Catholic Charities officials said. ''The Mayor has been an advocate and an effective political leader, responding to the needs of the poor, immigrants, the elderly and children and families of all races, religions and ethnic communities in the city," said the statement from Catholic Charities. ''For these many reasons we wish to acknowledge his leadership and thank him."

But with respect to same-sex marriage and abortion rights, Catholic Charities added, ''We differ with the Mayor on both of these issues, even as we recognize his contributions to those we seek to serve each day in our city. Archbishop O'Malley and the Mayor have collaborated on issues touching the welfare of the poor and families in need, and the Archbishop looks forward to other forms of collaboration to serve the city and its people in the future."

Catholic Charities' president, the Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, a former dean of Harvard Divinity School who was named to his current post by O'Malley two years ago, was not available for comment yesterday.

One commentator said that the notion of trying to uphold the Catholic Church's teachings on abortion and marriage, in this case, appears to undermine the church's mission to aid the poor.

''It seems to be a bit of a contradiction," said Thomas O'Connor, a Boston College history professor who has written extensively on the relationship between the Catholic Church and City Hall in Boston. ''People who are pledged to the right to life are adopting a policy that will, in effect, be denying the raising of money for Catholic Charities, whose function is to prolong life."