The Word of the Lord

Before you start reading, here's a caveat. The news link below is from the New York Post, a publication owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The Post “enjoys” a reputation as a tabloid oriented newspaper that bends and stretches the truth for the sake of sensationalism.

This story caught my eye today. Alec Baldwin, star of the television series 30 Rock and well known for his all-too-public encounters with the paparazzi, is a practicing Catholic who serves as Lector at his parish, Most Holy Trinity in East Hampton, New York. Apparently, some of his fellow parishioners are taking issue with Mr. Baldwin’s proclamation of the Word.*

Catholic Parishioners Protest Alec Baldwin as Lector

It is not my intention to pass judgment on Mr. Baldwin for his admittedly colorful public persona. Certainly, there are two sides to every story, and I have no idea what the parishioners of Most Holy Trinity Parish actually experience when Mr. Baldwin proclaims the readings at Mass. That said, there are two issues here that I feel compelled to address.

First, ANY baptized Catholic, with the proper ministry training, has a right to serve as Lector: prince or pauper, saint or sinner, actor or average citizen. Unless Mr. Baldwin has publicly violated Church law or policy, there is no reason why he can't proclaim God's Word at Mass.

Secondly, those parishioners who “turned their backs” on Mr. Baldwin as he proclaimed the readings are in the wrong for creating a scene at the sacred liturgy. Their actions are drawing attention to themselves and distracting their fellow worshippers from hearing the Word of God. What exactly are they protesting? According to the Post, it might be a disagreement with Mr. Baldwin’s politics, something which has no place at Mass. Or, worse, it might be simply because they don’t like him, which flies in the face of being a Christian.

Jesus said it best in John 8:7 —

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone . . .

* Be forewarned: Some of the comments after the news article are on the “salty” side, which is typical for Internet comments.