Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams took to Twitter to sound off on the decision the Dodgers made to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic drag group that primarily uses drag to mock the Catholic rituals and sacraments.
Posting two screenshots on Twitter that contained his statement on the matter, Williams explained both his deep faith in Christ and reasons for being against the invitation of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, both for secular and religious reasons.
Beginning, Williams described himself as “a devout Catholic” and said that he was very upset and “troubled” with the decision the Dodgers made to bring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to the game, saying, “As a devout Catholic, I am deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor the group ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ at their Pride Night this year.”
He then elaborated on the secular reason he has for opposing the group’s invitation, saying that all people from all walks of life should feel welcome to baseball games. Implied in this paragraph of the statement would be that the Christian faithful, particularly Roman Catholics, would not feel welcome to the game if the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were involved. Speaking on that, he said, “A Major League Baseball game is a place where people from all walks of life should feel welcomed, something I greatly respect and support. This is the purpose of different themed nights hosted by the organization, including Pride Night.”
He then got back to his religion and how it informs his view of the situation, saying that he thinks inviting a group that mocks the religion of millions of Americans, including the millions living in the city in which the sacrilege will be performed, shows the team to not be inclusive or respectful of the faithful. On that point, he said, “To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization.”
He then added that bringing the anti-Catholic group to Pride Night is a violation of the Dodgers’ own discrimination policy, as discriminatory clothing and conduct is prohibited and the group is very discriminatory against Catholics in both its dress and actions. In his words: “Creating an environment in which one group feels celebrated and honored at the expense of another is counterproductive and wrong. It is a clear violation of the Dodgers’ Discrimination Policy, which explicitly states that any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated.”
Continuing to pull that thread, he noted with horror that the Dodgers had made an exception to their policy in order to honor a group that mocks Catholics, saying, “It seems that the Dodgers have made an exception in this case, doubling down that this group – which grossly disrespects and openly mocks many of the traditions and beliefs that Catholics hold most dear – should be celebrated.”
He then got to the point of the statement, which was not just to complain but to call on the Dodgers to reconsider again their invitation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and side with the religious and those who don’t want to support the mocking of Christianity rather than a hateful, spiteful group. Making that plea, he said: “I believe it is essential for the Dodgers to reconsider their association with this group and strive to create an inclusive environment that does not demean or disrespect the religious beliefs of any fan or employee.”
In addition to calling on the Dodgers to reconsider, he called on Catholics around the country to reconsider their support of the Dodgers, saying, “I also encourage my fellow Catholics to reconsider their support of an organization that allows this type of mockery of its fans to occur.”
Ending the statement, he then continued speaking to Catholics and called on them to join hands in their resistance to evil and remain strong even in the face of serious hurt and frustration, saying, “I know I am not alone in my frustration, hurt, and disappointment about this situation. As Catholics, we look to Jesus Christ and the way He was treated and we realize that any suffering in this world unites us to Him in the next.”
— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) May 30, 2023
Featured image credit: By D. Benjamin Miller – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124532871
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