By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Surrounded by 17 fellow Catholics, the leader of a statewide anti-gay-rights campaign called on Catholic Bishop Richard Malone on Wednesday to stop priests from speaking for gay rights.

The church needs to start preaching Catholic teachings: that homosexual discrimination is not only “licit, it is obligatory,” said Paul Madore of the Maine Grassroots Coalition.

Madore, of Lewiston, staged a news conference outside St. Joseph’s Catholic Church to protest that the church’s pastor, the Rev. Michael Seavey, publicly spoke in favor of gay rights last week. Of the Catholics who joined Madore’s protest Wednesday, none belong to St. Joseph’s parish. In addition to Madore, one other protester said she lives in Lewiston-Auburn. The downtown church is at Main and Blake streets.

Seavey was one of three men on the panel at a Sept. 22 forum by the anti-discrimination group Maine Won’t Discriminate. They all spoke against discrimination, urging people to vote no Nov. 8 on Question 1, which seeks to repeal a new state law outlawing discrimination against gays.

Chip Morrison of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and Rene Dumont of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center joined Seavey on the panel. All three said they were speaking for themselves and did not represent their organizations. Seavey wore his priest’s collar at the forum.

On Wednesday, Madore accused Seavey of having “duped the bishop,” appearing without Malone’s permission. Seavey was unavailable for comment Wednesday, according to the church’s secretary. A diocese representative said Seavey had the bishop’s permission, but that the bishop did not know the event was a one-sided forum.

Earlier this year, the bishop came out neither for nor against a gay rights law. Considering that, Madore said it was wrong for a priest to speak in favor of gay rights.

If Seavey took his collar off “and spoke as Michael Seavey, I would have no complaint,” Madore said. But a priest cannot be separated from the church. “He’s a symbol of authority in the church.” Because of that, “Seavey doesn’t belong in this debate.”

“I want to talk to the bishop through the media,” Madore went on in raised voice. “If these priests continue to do what they’re doing and disobey the teaching authority of the church, Catholics will be there to remind them they have done so.”

As he spoke, those standing with Madore agreed. Several held signs that called on Maine Won’t Discriminate to “Leave Our Priests Alone.” Sandra Navia of Fryeburg said that as a Catholic she’s unhappy that Seavey appeared for Maine Won’t Discriminate.

“It seems that Father Seavey has been bitten by the bug of religious liberalism,” Navia said. Speaking for gay rights “has placed him in collusion with the church’s enemies and in conformity with the open foes of the Catholic faith,” she said.

Navia complained that the priest’s appearance confuses the church’s neutral position. She called on the bishop to say that the diocese does not endorse Maine Won’t Discriminate’s position.

The bishop concluded last spring that the diocese could neither oppose nor support gay rights, said spokesman Marc Mutty. The whole area is gray, he said.

As Catholics weigh the referendum, they need to consider the question and the church’s teachings. Looking at Catholic teachings, a Catholic could come away with a “yes” or a “no” conclusion. Neither would be wrong, Mutty said.

“So for a priest to say he has analyzed the teachings of the church and has come to the conclusion he needs to support the bill, one could not say that is contrary to the wishes of the bishop,” Mutty said. If a priest concluded he could not support the law, that would not be contrary either, Mutty said.

Mutty said the big question for the diocese is “did Father Seavey’s participation shed light or create confusion? I don’t think it served to bring light.”

When asked if priests would be barred from speaking on the issue, Mutty said Wednesday he did not know.

“The bishop will be talking to Father Seavey about it,” Mutty said. Seavey will not be disciplined, he said, but the bishop wants to ensure that in the future a priest first offers the position of the diocese. Then, “if one wants to elaborate on their take, that’s fine,” Mutty said.