Rorate Caeli

Inter-faith Quran blessing in a Catholic Cathedral

Abbot Joseph of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Monastery of the Transfiguration in California reports on the following event in his blog, Word Incarnate:


On September 11, 2001, an Islamic jihad murdered at least 3000 American citizens on our own soil, causing immense human sorrow, economic loss, and national humiliation. Now how do you think that event was commemorated in the Catholic cathedral in Sacramento, CA, in 2010? By holding a service to bless the Koran, of course—even though the ones who perpetrated those evil deeds believed the inspiration for them was found therein.

It seems that insanity is reaching new levels in certain places. Here is a portion of the story: “Representatives of different religions, including members of the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, and Druid [yes, California has everything] communities, took part in an interfaith blessing of the Qu’ran at Sacramento’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on September 11. During the ceremony, Father Michael Kiernan, rector of the cathedral, read from the Beatitudes… Several dozen people placed roses on the Quran, in front of the main doors to the cathedral. Upon placing their roses, people said before the crowd, ‘Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.’”

Yes, you read it correctly, they placed roses on the Koran in a Catholic cathedral dedicated to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Do you see anything wrong with this picture? (A Druid placing a rose on the Koran in a Catholic cathedral: I couldn’t have made that up if I tried!)


More reports can be found here, here, here and here.
(UPDATE: Fr. Kiernan has clarified the story and denied his involvement. See HERE.)