To the extent that the Los Angeles Dodgers still have Christian fans, they have done themselves no favors by alienating them. According to Mia’s reporting, a local chapter of the anti-Catholic trans organization Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was invited to be honored by an MLB franchise. They initially disinvited the group after receiving a proper response, but later invited them again after issuing a pathetic statement and apologies to the anti-Catholic group. Later, on a retweet from pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the team stated that they would be hosting a “Christian Faith and Family Day” on July 30—roughly a month and a half after the pre-game 10th annual Pride Night celebration on June 16.
A barrage of replies and quoted tweets called out both Kershaw’s initial tweet and the team’s repost for what appears to be insincerity after revealing they would be honoring such a crude, anti-Catholic outfit so recently.
CatholicVote and Bishop Robert Barron are just two of the many who have spoken out against the act and called for a boycott of the team.
As of Monday night, Kershaw’s tweet had over 4 million views and nearly 2,500 comments, including over 500 retweets including direct quotes. The Dodgers’ retweet has been seen by 3 million people and has received over 4,000 replies and over 1,000 quoted retweets.
Others voiced their disapproval by showcasing a small sample of the group’s general crudeness.
Mia’s reporting provides further context for the obscenities she describes. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has tweeted about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as his profile picture.
Since Los Angeles is home to nearly 4 million Catholics, the Dodgers’ decision to honor such a group with the “Community Hero Award” is especially offensive. According to the most recent statistics available (from 2020), 44.8 percent of Californians are active members of a Catholic church.
Predictably, media coverage has sought to minimize the offensive nature of the group. Perhaps the worst example is NBC News’ one-sided write-up, “How major brands were forced into the conservative plan to target LGBTQ people,” which our Twitchy friends brought to light.
Here’s how NBC News stated that Republicans sought to “target LGBTQ people,” but if anyone was “targeted,” it was Catholics:
For the first time since 2019—before the COVID-19 pandemic—a Christian event will be held. Even in 2021 and 2022, though, Pride celebrations continued.
Kershaw has been a guest speaker at the team’s previous Christian activities. His Twitter profile is only “Colossians 3:23.” The relevant verse is Colossians 3:23, which reads, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”