Friday, November 15, 2019

Priest and His Church Sued Over Insensitive Funeral Homily

Detroit News reports on a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in a Michigan state trial court seeking damages from priest  Rev. Don LaCuesta and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance, Michigan for a homily which La Cuesta delivered at the funeral of plaintiff's son last December.  At the funeral of the son, who had committed suicide, LaCuesta delivered this homily which condemned suicide, but added that God can forgive it.  The priest ignored a plea by the deceased's father during the funeral to stop.  After the funeral, the Archdiocese and the priest both issued apologies. The lawsuit alleges that plaintiff, mother of the deceased, "continues to suffer great pain of mind and body, shock, severe and permanent emotional distress … and difficulty in practicing religion through the church."