Despite the anger and outrage over the Dodgers’ invitation of the anti-Catholic drag group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the team stuck with the decision and hosted the group for its Pride Night celebration. That drew in thousands of angry Catholics who stood outside the stadium, protesting its decision to do so.
Protesting the event on Friday night, the Catholics surrounded the stadium while carrying signs saying things like “God will not be mocked” and “stop anti-Catholic hate.”
The incident was highlighted by Savannah Hernandez of Turning Point USA and The Post Millenial. Posting a video of the incident, Hernandez said, “BREAKING: Thousands of Catholics have shut down the main entrance to Dodger Stadium on Vin Scully avenue in protest of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence being honored tonight. They are now lining the sidewalks and have taken over the entire block.” Watch the video of the protest here:
BREAKING: Thousands of Catholics have shut down the main entrance to Dodger Stadium on Vin Scully avenue in protest of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence being honored tonight.
They are now lining the sidewalks and have taken over the entire block: pic.twitter.com/F5CSDvuap8
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) June 17, 2023
Not all there were as openly confrontational with the team and its decision as those blocking the stadium. One Catholic at the event, Jesse Bustamante, told ABC7, “This is prayer, not a protest. We are basically praying for the so-called nuns. We should be tolerant of everyone. Likewise, they should be tolerant of our faith in our feelings.”
Many, however, as can be seen in the video, were willing to confront the team and its fans over its support of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and, as can be seen in Hernandez’s video, blocked the stadium’s main entrance. Fans of the Dodgers who showed up had to be detoured around the large crowd, leading to a heavy presence of the Los Angeles Police Department. Despite the police presence, no arrests stemmed from the protests.
And it wasn’t just people outside the stadium who were upset with the team’s invitation of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to the Stadium. Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen was as well. In a statement released to Twitter about the incident, he said, “I am disappointed to see the Sister’s of Perpetual Indulgence being honored as heroes at Dodger Stadium. Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.”
He also said that he refused to support the team’s decision to invite the group because it mocks his faith in Jesus Christ and Christ himself, saying, “This group openly mocks Jesus Christ. The cornerstone of my faith, and I want to make it clear that I do not agree with nor support the decision of the Dodger’s to “honor” the Sister’s of Perpetual Indulgence.”
Further, he added that the Bud Light and Target debacles show why inviting a group such as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a bad decision, as it alienates fans who want to avoid politics when getting something non-political, such as a beer or baseball ticket. As he put it: “The fans do not want propaganda or politics forced on them. The debacle with Bud Light and Target should be a warning to companies and professional sports to stay true to their brand and leave the propaganda and politics off the field.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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