Religion

Eugene

(62,623 posts) Fri Dec 14, 2018, 10:29 PM Dec 2018

'Father, please stop': Parents horrified after priest used teen's funeral to condemn suicide

Source: Washington Post

‘Father, please stop’: Parents horrified after priest used teen’s funeral to condemn suicide

By Katie Mettler
December 14 at 8:23 PM

When Maison Hullibarger died by suicide on Dec. 4, his parents — devout Catholics — began planning a funeral that would celebrate their 18-year-old son’s life.

He was a brother to five siblings, an athlete and teammate, a strong criminal justice student at the University of Toledo, and a passionate fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And because the priest at their Temperance, Mich., parish didn’t personally know their son, Jeffrey and Linda Hullibarger met with him before the funeral to discuss what they wanted in the homily.

The Hullibargers were detailed, they said, and Father Don LaCuesta took notes.

“We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived," Linda Hullibarger told the Detroit Free Press, "not how he died.”

Instead, during the funeral at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, the Hullibargers listened from the pews as the priest spoke the word “suicide” six times. He told mourners, local media reported, that Maison may be denied admittance to heaven because of the way he died. LaCuesta wondered aloud, the Hullibargers said, if Maison had repented enough in the eyes of God.

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7 replies

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'Father, please stop': Parents horrified after priest used teen's funeral to condemn suicide (Original Post) Eugene Dec 2018 OP

My grandmother was a devout Catholic, but she felt driven out of the church... TreasonousBastard Dec 2018 #1

Did your grandmother disbelieve the priest? Mariana Dec 2018 #3

I don't know. He died before I was born and my father told me the story. Knowing her as I did... TreasonousBastard Dec 2018 #4

If you don't want to be offended, don't click on my post... Ferrets are Cool Dec 2018 #2

Kinda like school in July Major Nikon Dec 2018 #5

A Lousy Shepherd for His Congregation. MineralMan Dec 2018 #6

Sick fuck. Voltaire2 Dec 2018 #7

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

1. My grandmother was a devout Catholic, but she felt driven out of the church...

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Fri Dec 14, 2018, 10:43 PM

Dec 2018

when my grandfather died and the priest told her exactly how many years he would spend in purgatory because he didn't go to church enough.

Not just Catholics, but all Christian clergy have an obligation to comfort their flock. Some just aren't very good at it. Or don't care.

Mariana

(14,965 posts)

3. Did your grandmother disbelieve the priest?

Reply to TreasonousBastard (Reply #1)

Sat Dec 15, 2018, 01:25 AM

Dec 2018

Or, did she believe him but didn't want to be reminded how long her husband was going to suffer?

It's dreadful what the Church has done to this family. Its teaching about suicide and the fate of those who have taken their own lives is absolutely loathsome. I understand they are blaming the individual priest, but it doesn't sound like the priest said anything that conflicts with the official position of the Church. He was probably trying to save souls.

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

4. I don't know. He died before I was born and my father told me the story. Knowing her as I did...

Reply to Mariana (Reply #3)

Sat Dec 15, 2018, 03:30 AM

Dec 2018

though, I suspect she was largely overwhelmed by the insensitivity and didn't care much whether or not it was true.

After all, she had no idea what was really going on after death and had no way to influence it anyway. It was all in the hands of God and nothing the priest could say would alter that, but what the priest could say would definitely affect a grieving widow.