The Catholic Church denied confirmation to a teenager in Minnesota who expressed his support for gay marriage on his Facebook page.
According to DailyKos.com, the Rev. Gary LaMoine denied Lennon Cihak the religious rite of passage in mid-October because the teen had posted a picture on his Facebook page opposing a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have banned LGBT civil marriage equality.
The teen's mother, Shana Cihak, was shocked by the decision and said her son went to church every week and volunteered in the community to prepare for his confirmation.
“You kind of know the Catholic beliefs, but I never thought they would deny somebody confirmation because you weren’t 100 percent. I guess that’s what shocks me,” said Shana Cihak, who was confirmed in the same church.
Lennon posted a photo of himself holding an altered political sign. He had scribbled out the "yes" on a "Vote Yes" for the Minnesota Marriage Amendment sign and changed it to "NO!"
After the photo was discovered, Shana was called into a private conversation with LaMoine who told her that her son would not be confirmed.
Shana and her husband, Doug Cihak, both felt that it was wrong to single out Lennon when several of his friends who "liked" the photo on Facebook were still allowed to be confirmed.
LaMoine told the press he had no comment but later denied that Lennon was denied confirmation.
However, Shana maintains that LaMoine wouldn't allow Lennon to be confirmed.
“He said ‘I cannot, cannot confirm him.’ And why is Lennon not confirmed now if he could be confirmed?” she said. “Father would not confirm him, and they won’t confirm him unless he changes his views.”
She did say that Bishop Michael Hoeppner of the Diocese of Crookston told her that Lennon could be confirmed if he stood before the church and denounced his support of same-sex marriage.
Lennon was not confirmed with his class and now has over 800 fans on Facebook.
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