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(San Diego, California) The Roman Catholic bishop of San Diego has decreed that a prominent gay businessman cannot receive a Catholic funeral in any parish in the diocese.
John McCusker, 31, died suddenly March 13 of an apparent heart attack at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort where he was on vacation.
McCusker's family sought to have his funeral at his alma mater, the University of San Diego, which is associated with the diocese.
Initially, the university agreed to hold the funeral and then suddenly declined. When they were turned down stunned family members approached two parish churches and were rebuffed.
In a statement released Thursday, Rodrigo Valdivia, chancellor for the Diocese of San Diego, said that no parish in the diocese would hold the funeral because McCusker had owned two gay nightclubs.
"The facts regarding the business activity of John McCusker were not known by church officials when arrangements were requested for his funeral," the statement said. "When these facts became known the bishop of San Diego concluded that to avoid public scandal Mr. McCusker can't be granted a funeral in a Catholic church or chapel in the Diocese of San Diego."
One club owned by McCusker, Club Montage, attracts a mixed crowd. On Friday nights it is mostly heterosexual and on Saturdays is primarily gay. The other club, ReBar, is gay.
The action by Bishop Robert H. Brom has shocked both the San San Diego business community and gays.
"[He was] a great leader and the kind of guy that people love to see because he gives back and is very generous to the community." Joyce Marieb, executive director of the Greater San Diego Business Association, told the San Diego Daily Transcript.
Gay Catholics and other members of the LGBT community plan to meet on Monday to discuss a response to the bishop.
McCusker's funeral will be held today at St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego
©365Gay.com 2005
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