Catholic group plans for thousands to protest Sisters at Dodger Stadium before Pride Night
A religious organization that calls the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence “Godless” and “Christ-mocking” plans for thousands to protest at Dodger Stadium on Friday due to the Dodgers honoring the longtime charity organization made up of queer nuns in drag.
Catholics for Catholics, an organizer behind the protest, said it wants to express its feelings on the matter in person and on Dodgers’ Pride Night, but it wants the event to be “peaceful” and “prayerful.”
Catholics for Catholics announced a “prayerful procession” from 3 to 7 p.m., ahead of Friday’s 7:10 p.m. start of the Dodgers’ game against the San Francisco Giants. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are slated to receive the Community Hero Award during a pregame ceremony as part of the Pride Night festivities.
“All are welcome to join this event in reparation for the offenses committed against our Lord Jesus Christ and against all Christians by the ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,’” an article on the Catholics for Catholics website reads.
“CHRISTIANS unite in prayerful response to Dodgers’ godless decision to honor blasphemous, Christ-mocking ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,’” reads a flier for the procession.
Some gay Catholics side with Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez over opposition to the Dodgers honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at Pride Night.
The Sisters said Thursday that they have no issue with groups that express themselves through protest.
“After 27 years of activism and protests ourselves including the ones fighting Proposition 8 for our right to marry the ones we love, we certainly cannot complain about our fellow Angelenos expressing their 1st Amendment rights,” the Sisters told The Times via email.
Attendees for the procession are told to gather at Parking Lot 13 outside Dodger Stadium, where “limited free parking” will be available. It is not clear where the march will go from there or if the group plans to enter the stadium or disrupt any of the planned activities. The Dodgers did not immediately respond to questions on how this might affect fans attempting to park and attend the game.
According to the article on its website, Catholics for Catholics expect “thousands of Catholics, Christians, and people of faith” to be on hand for the procession.
“We DO NOT recommend bringing children,” the article reads. “While there will be police, we do anticipate hostility from protestors.”
L.A. Archbishop José H. Gomez will hold a Mass on Friday “praying in a special way for our city” before the Dodgers honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on Pride Night.
In the article, Catholics for Catholics encourages attendees to bring posters to the protest, “but have messages be Christ-centered. ... DO NOT bring posters with political images or messages.”
A flier for the procession states, “This is a peaceful Christian event.”
Catholics for Catholics did not immediately respond to questions for this story. The article on its website mentions America Needs Fatima, Catholic Vote and Church Militant as some of the fellow organizers for the event. None of those groups responded to questions from The Times.
The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to questions about planned security for the protest, as well as during and after the game. The Dodgers told The Times by email that they do not comment on matters relating to security.
The Sisters told The Times that despite the planned protests, “a team of us will appear at the game to accept this remarkable honor and to cheer on the Dodgers! Go Blue!”
Clayton Kershaw disagreed with the Dodgers’ plan to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on Pride Night, so he pushed to relaunch Christian family day.
They added: “We are taking every precaution for our safety, as are the Dodgers, the LAPD and the FBI.”
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a satirical performance and activist organization that describes itself as “a leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns,” are known for raising awareness and money for LGBTQ causes and providing comfort to members of that community.
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