Thank you Monsignor Soto!

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I have a few close personal relatives who are voting for Proposition 8 and against marriage equality in California.

I’ve left them reading materials, discussed the parallels with the history of marriage in this country, and tried to make them understand that it’s not about teaching kids, or religious freedom, or traditional values, to no avail. Until tonight.

Tonight my family members got robocalled with a message (in Spanish – bad targeting) from Monsignor Jaime Soto telling them to vote for Proposition 8. American-born and -schooled, they were first offended that he would assume that they spoke Spanish. And since they left the Catholic Church over 50 years ago, they were very angry that a church leader would call them to give voting advice.

So I publicly thank Monsignor Soto for doing what I could not. He got these elderly Latino voters to switch their votes, though certainly not in the way he intended. I’m forwarding the voice mail to other undecided voters who might also find it offensive.

7 Comments

  1. Are you sure it was him? I wouldn’t put it past these rabid folks to impersonate him.

    BTW: He’s a bishop now in Sacramento and will be taking over the diocese at the end of the month. He’s also extremely dedicated to social justice issues, so it’s really hard for me to picture him participating in something so … dare I say … crass.

  2. I thought I had read that Soto had been moved and promoted.
    This voice clearly identifies himself as Monsignor Jaime Soto, though, not knowing the man, I wouldn’t know him by voice.
    In Spanish, he includes the usual fear-mongering lies about kids in schools forcefully being taught about same sex marriage and parents prohibited from removing their children from such instruction.
    I recommend the Monsignor refer to his list of Commandments where I remember some items about telling lies and bearing false witness.
    And the quick disclaimer says it was paid for by Protect Marriage .com.

  3. I, too, received a robocall in Spanish this (Sunday) morning from a Msgr. Soto.

    As a 72+ years-young practicing Catholic, I believe that a person should vote according to his/her conscience.
    While I respect and love my Church, I follow my conscience.
    Both my husband and I have voted a RESOUNDING “NO!!” on Prop 8.

    We are ALL God’s children: regardless of color, ethnicity,religious beliefs, gender –INCLUDING the LGTB community.

    Churches of any/all denominations should practice what they preach and STAY OUT of politics.

  4. Thank you, Lupe! I, too, am a practicing Catholic who cannot fathom God loving anyone more or less for ANY reason. I could not agree more strongly with every aspect of your comment.

    The fact that this recording is from a Msgr. Soto is suspect to me. I’ll try to find out because like I wrote earlier, this just doesn’t fit with the Jaime Soto with whom I’m familiar.

  5. The good news (if there can be any) is In my far right Catholic parish in North OC the clergy have laid off the issue.

    They have left it to the scared White old men of the Knghts of Columbus to fight the battle.

    There is in fact, a faction a priests who made it out of St. John’s with out becoming Homosexual, who are more progressive than in the past.

    Hopefully, the wives of closeted fags won’t lead some charge against them next!

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