0
0

Parents say priest told mourners that son may be kept out of heaven over suicide


 invite response                
2018 Dec 15, 5:12am   2,403 views  10 comments

by MisterLefty   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

A Catholic priest in Michigan is facing criticism after he presided over the funeral of an 18-year-old who killed himself earlier this month and told mourners at the service that the teen may be kept out of heaven due to the way he died, reports said.

The parents want the priest who presided over his funeral removed after they say he disparaged and condemned their son during the service.


Maison Hullibarger, 18, a straight-A student, killed himself on Dec. 4. His funeral was on Dec. 8, and Rev. Don LaCuesta said the mass.

LaCuesta mentioned “suicide” six times and wondered out loud if the teen had repented enough to make it to Heaven, Hullibarger's family said. At one point Jeff Hullibarger, the teen's father, walked over to the priest and whispered, "Father, please stop," to no avail.

"We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived, not how he died," Maison's mother said.

The words were so hurtful that the family said Catholic officials in Detroit apologized in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. Hullibarger's parents want LaCuesta removed from his post in Monroe County, just south of Detroit.

"Everybody seems to understand but the Catholic Church," said Jeff Hullibarger.

The couple also claims that LaCuesta denied them the chance to eulogize their son, as had been discussed in advance. Several boys the same age as Maison walked out of the church crying, the couple said.

"People told me there was almost a smirk on his face," Jeff Hullibarger said.

The Catholic Church has backed off its tough stance on suicide in recent years, finding that it can be forgiven under certain circumstances.

In a Thursday statement to the paper, the Archdiocese of Detroit said its hope "is always to bring comfort into situations of great pain, through funeral services centered on the love and healing power of Christ,” and that "unfortunately, that did not happen in this case."

"After some reflection, the presider agrees that the family was not served as they should have been served. For the foreseeable future, he will not be preaching at funerals and he will have his other homilies reviewed by a priest mentor,” it continued.

The Hullibargers said an apology isn’t enough.

"Really, the only way for that to happen is for this priest to be removed. We’re afraid that, like the Catholic Church does, they’ll send him off and he’ll do it to somebody else," Jeff Hullibarger said.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/parents-want-priests-whop-presided-over-sons-funeral-removed

Comments 1 - 10 of 10        Search these comments

1   Tenpoundbass   2018 Dec 15, 8:09am  

Boo Fucking Hoo, that's actually not a new concept it's pretty much in the Ten Commandments.
Thou Shall Not Kill.

Murder is forgivable, as you are still alive to atone and repent. Suicide is not, because the ride is over.
2   HeadSet   2018 Dec 15, 8:13am  

teen may be kept out of heaven due to the way he died, reports said.

Insensitive, yes. But that is Catholic dogma. One is free to change superstitions if you do not like the tenets. Become a Lutheran, Wiccan, or even Jedi Knight.
3   Patrick   2018 Dec 15, 8:58am  

HeadSet says
that is Catholic dogma


Yes, this is ancient. The Catholic Church has always maintained that suicide is a mortal sin. It's hardly news.
4   Evan F.   2018 Dec 15, 9:07am  

HeadSet says
Become a Lutheran, Wiccan, or even Jedi Knight.

Fuckin' a. Becoming a Jedi sounds like a lot more fun than being Catholic, the tenets are equally as plausible as anything in Christianity, and the odds of getting raped are probably a great deal lower.
5   Ceffer   2018 Dec 15, 9:17am  

So, your kid goes to Hell, whats the biggie?
6   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Dec 15, 11:01am  

Patrick says
Yes, this is ancient. The Catholic Church has always maintained that suicide is a mortal sin. It's hardly news.


"Unprecedented! Priest communicates Catholic Teachings! People demand Church change 2000+ year old Stance to assuage feelings and apologize"

Professors have been fired for merely communicating Catholic Teachings on Homosexuality at Catholic Colleges.
7   tovarichpeter   2018 Dec 15, 11:28am  

He may have intended to dissuade others from doing the same.
8   Bd6r   2018 Dec 15, 2:24pm  

Evan F. says
Becoming a Jedi sounds like a lot more fun than being Catholic

https://www.jedichurch.org/
9   RC2006   2018 Dec 15, 3:07pm  

Rules are rules, don't like them then don't be a Catholic.just like so many other things people cry about after the fact.
10   Evan F.   2018 Dec 15, 3:59pm  

d6rB says
Evan F. says
Becoming a Jedi sounds like a lot more fun than being Catholic

https://www.jedichurch.org/


My next door neighbor directed this a decade ago, but it still is pretty good:

www.youtube.com/embed/RPsDDr0n9AE

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   random   suggestions