Concerned members of the Diocese of Richmond contacted us last week about an organist in the employ of the diocese who is currently involved in a homosexual “marriage” as well as actively engaging in public homosexual activism on social media. Christopher Martin, an organist in the employ of the diocese, is currently involved in a homosexual “marriage” as well as actively engaging in public homosexual activism on social media.
Martin is the regular assisting organist for Saint Bridget Catholic Church and also performs at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond. According to Martin’s bio, posted on the St. Bridget Catholic Church website, “Chris is a regular assisting organist for 5:30 P.M. Masses at Saint Bridget, and frequently accompanies the Saint Bridget Choirs both in the liturgy and for concerts.”
On December 13, just twelve days before Christmas, Martin served as the organist at the Richmond Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for a performance of Advent Lessons and Carols. This is just one example of many performances he has given at the Cathedral.
Of note to those paying attention to the recent scandal at St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, which had planned to allow the use of sacred space for the “ordination/consecration” of a female Episcopalian “bishop,” (thankfully, the event was moved to another location) Christopher Martin gave a performance there in 01 May 2019.
Clearly, Martin’s work for the Diocese of Richmond is not a minor matter, which is why members of the diocese are scandalized by his “marriage” to another man and his public homosexual activism.
Mr. Martin recently posted an anniversary picture proclaiming his “marriage” of 4 years to another man on Facebook.
He also posted on Facebook about his involvement in a June 2019 “pride walk” in Richmond. The photo shows him with his “husband” at the event.
This scandal is compounded by the fact that the Diocese of Richmond was recently embroiled in a lawsuit for terminating another diocesan employee involved in a homosexual “marriage.” In 2016 a diocesan spokeswoman rightly explained, “as a Catholic organization, we expect the employees of the diocese and its ministries to uphold and embody the consistent values and truths of the Catholic faith, including those preserving the sanctity of marriage.” The lawsuit by the terminated employee was eventually dismissed by a federal judge.
We agree wholeheartedly with the Diocese of Richmond’s previous statement about the scandal caused by employees that do not embody the timeless truth of the Catholic faith. By all accounts, Mr. Martin is an excellent organist of some renown, but the Church cannot proclaim truth on one hand and turn a blind eye to falsehood on the other.
A divorce between teaching and practice causes true scandal and can very well lead souls astray. It is not a mercy, despite the howling of Fr. James Martin, America Magazine and homosexualist pressure groups such as New Ways Ministry.
We reached out to the communications office at the Diocese of Richmond and gave a generous time-frame for a response to three simple questions:
- Is there currently a policy in the diocese barring the employment of same-sex “married” individuals?
- Is the diocese aware of this employee’s same-sex “marriage”?
- If the diocese was not aware before and is now, will the diocese terminate his employment?
So far we have been met with silence. Will the diocese react with courage as they did five years before? Or will they succumb to the growing climate of homosexualist pressure?
Your voice is important, even if you do not live in the Diocese of Richmond. We cannot let the homosexualist pressure groups and influencers be the only voice heard in chanceries across the country. Please call or write the diocese and respectfully ask that they stand up for Catholic teaching and end this scandal.
Pastoral Center
Mailing and Phone Info:
7800 Carousel Lane
Richmond, VA 23294-4201
Phone: (804) 359-5661
Main Fax: (804) 358-9159
Email the Bishop (Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout): [email protected]
Please uphold the Catholic teachings.
Catholic teachings? And exactly where were these teachings while your church protected countless numbers of rapists of children? It really takes a lot of gall and audacity to point out the sins of someone else when you have committed the most heinous crime a human can commit over many, many years. Shame on all of you,
It is not the laity that is responsible for these crimes. The faithful are horrified by the sex scandals. The blame lies on the clergy and those in power that covered up the abuses. The issue is not one of pedophilia as you suggest – but homosexuality. This is evident in the overwhelming number of post-adolescent boys and seminarians that were abused. Those scandals brought light to the overwhelming depth of corruption within Our Church. However, this does not make our Doctrine wrong, it means that there are people within the Church that are seeking to destroy Her.
William Harrison: 80% of those “rapes” that you are referring to involved Post-Pubescent males as victims. 80% of the predator-priests were homosexual.
Homosexuality , same sex marriage is against the True teachings & the True doctrines of our lord Jesus Christ .This should never be allowed especially to the employees of the Catholic church . They can be homosexual as long as they do not actively practice homosexuality in their private life . Being a practicing homosexual is a mortal sin.
Oh yes. The Catholic Church is the epitome of morality. Just ask the countless number of children who were taped by men you protected
You mean raped I’m sure. I personally knew three gay priests in that Diocese when I lived in Richmond. Could there be an any more sanctimonious, hypocritical, hurtful religious body around? And what an example of Christ’s compassion is this group railing about a gay employee’s marriage. Drop the quotes around the word marriage. Marriage is a legal status. It’s real. It’s recognized by law. The Church does NOT get to define marriage for the rest of us. Besides, you’ve got your Catholic hands full dealing with millions of your own broken, failed, and unfaithful Catholic “marriages.”
Yes. I was taped myself once. Awful especially if they use that smelly masking stuff.
Where are all the articles about every other sinner employed by the church? How dare the church employ a sinner! Seriously though, considering the number of children who were abused by the the Church over the years, it’s ridiculous to publish this. Who of us lives a sin free life?
Sinners we are, but this organist mentioned has no intention to reverse and or avoid his. He is openly promoting sinful behaviour and pleased with continuing the homosexual relationship he falsely calls a “marriage”. Both he and the Church are at fault, he for flaunting the Church and not leaving, and the Parish and Bishop for tolerating the dissent and disorder(and paying him as well!)
When one sins, one must confess it to a priest and resolve not to commit that sin again. If a sinner does not make such a resolution in good faith, he or she is not absolved. The absolution is valid otherwise, even if a priest, heaven forbid, was in a state of mortal sin. (Pray for priests.) The organist mentioned is not a member in good standing, whether or not he is even a Catholic. The facebook display shows he is at most a cad.
…at best a cad.
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” (Leviticus, 18:22)
Abomination = Something that is exceptionally loathsome, hateful, sinful, wicked or vile.