Deacon panned for anti-LGBT message
He apologizes for tweet; church calls his words `hurtful'
LIVERMORE >> A Livermore deacon is under fire over an offensive tweet he posted over the weekend in which he called members of the LGBTQ+ community “gravely disordered”.
The tweet, posted Sunday night from the personal account of deacon Rob Federle of St. Michael Catholic Church, came the day after a mass shooting occurred at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, where five people were killed.
The tweet was posted in response to another Twitter user who wrote “being LGBT is hard.” Federle replied: “Being gravely disordered shouldn't be a piece of cake.”
The tweet has since been deleted but screenshots of the original tweet have been shared online. Both Livermore residents and people who live outside of the area have been commenting on social media regarding the comment, with many expressing shock and frustration.
Federle issued an apology on Twitter on Monday.
“I apologize for the post I made on Sunday following the tragedy in Colorado Springs,” he wrote. “It lacked Christian charity and is not befitting of an ordained clergy, or of anyone who professes to be a follower of Jesus Christ.”
Federle could not be reached for comment but statements have been issued by both St. Michael Parish and the Diocese of Oakland.
In an email, the Rev. Carl Arcosa, pastor of St. Michael Parish, said that the tweet was “hurtful” and did not reflect the position of the parish or the diocese.
“We are deeply saddened by this tweet. We are dealing with Deacon Rob Federle on this issue with seriousness,” Arcosa said.
“We are praying for those lives lost in the Colorado Springs shooting and their grieving friends and families. We also pray for the end of violence and hatred, especially during this season of giving thanks.”
In a statement, Bishop Michael Barber also said that the post was not representative of the church's teachings.
“I ask everyone to join me in prayer and support for all those impacted by the attack at Club Q. No one should suffer from violence,” he said.
The Rev. James Bretzke, a theology professor at John Carroll University in Ohio, took to Twitter to express his shock at Federle's comment, telling his followers that he had written to Acosa on the matter.
“The deacon's original tweet was both deeply offensive and indefensible in terms of both Catholic moral teaching and pastoral care,” Bretzke said in an email. “His understandings of `God' and the `moral life' betrayed a real lack of both charity and understanding.
I know the pastor to be an excellent man. He and the Bishop of Oakland both responded in a quite timely and forthright manner.”
Livermore Mayor Bob Woerner said that Federle's views were not in line with those of the Livermore community.
“In a community, what hurts one, hurts all. Horrific events cry out for us to comfort one another. Deeply hurtful comments have no place,” Woerner said in an interview. “When a member of our community fails to uphold our values, we need to encourage them to be more accepting and welcoming to all.”