Catholic church with ‘ICE was here’ Nativity scene refuses to obey Boston archbishop's orders
After criticism from the Archdiocese of Boston, the church is defending its Nativity scene in which the Holy Family was replaced by a message reading “ICE WAS HERE."
Days after criticism from the Archdiocese of Boston, Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, has issued a statement defending its controversial Nativity scene in which the Holy Family was replaced by a message reading “ICE WAS HERE.”
“We believe our position and practice to be faithful to the Gospel and Catholic teaching, especially as recently put forth by the Catholic bishops of the United States, including our own Archbishop [Richard] Henning, as well as Pope Leo,” begins the statement issued jointly by the parish council and Father Stephen Josoma, the church’s pastor, according to a Dec. 9 report from WVCB, an ABC affiliate.
The pastor and parish council state that they are still discerning their next action, hoping to meet with Bishop Richard Henning of Boston before determining whether to remove the scene.
“It is a prophetic reflection that challenges the faithful to find new paths to bring the Good News announced that first Christmas to all of God's people,” the statement reads, according to WVCB. “We are waiting for an opportunity of dialogue and clarity with Bishop Henning before reaching any final decisions.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, Terrence Donilon, the archdiocese’s secretary for communications and public affairs, issued a media statement Dec. 5 explaining that the parish did not request permission for its Nativity scene to depart from canonical norms.
“The Church’s norms prohibit the use of sacred objects for any purpose other than the devotion of God’s people,” Donilon stated, according to WVCB. “This includes images of the Christ Child in the manger, which are to be used solely to foster faith and devotion.”
C.J. Doyle, the director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, called the Nativity scene a “grave scandal” and said he hopes Archbishop Henning will take dramatic action, such as removing Fr. Josoma as pastor, according to WVCB.
While the archdiocese opposes the controversial manger scene, some people from outside the parish attended Mass at St. Susanna last Sunday to show their support. These even included people traveling from out of state, such as Avery McClain and Allexis Pillard, who came from Wisconsin to see the display, according to WVCB.
Some community members, such as Steve McGowan, are standing with the archdiocese, however.
“I’m not sure what the protocol is, but I think it's wrong if the archbishop says it’s gotta go, it’s gotta go, that’s all,” McGowan said, according to WVCB.
Fr. Josoma and the parish council say they are following the Vatican’s lead.
“The Vatican itself displays different themed nativities each year, highlighting social issues to contemporary life,” the statement said, according to WVCB. “Some of these have also been controversial (like one focused on the plight of refugees in 2016) all moving beyond static traditional figures and designed to evoke emotion and dialogue.”
