Pious Trash: Fr. LaCuesta’s Awful Funeral Homily
“If we Christians are right in believing that salvation belongs to Jesus Christ, that it does not come from us–and that our hand cannot stop what God allows for us, then yes, there is hope in eternity even for those who take their own lives. Having said that, I think that we must not call what is bad good, what is wrong right. Because we are Christians, we must say what we know is the truth – that taking your own life is against God who made us and against everyone who loves us. Our lives are not our own. They are not ours to do with as we please. God gave us life, and we are to be good stewards of that gift for as long as God permits. The finality of suicide makes this all the worse. You cannot make things right again.” 
Read the whole homily here.
Those comforting, inspiring and hopeful words were spoken by a priest, Fr. Don LaCuesta, at the funeral Mass of a high school student who had committed suicide. Fr. LaCuesta is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance, Michigan. In discussing the service with the priest, the parents had asked that he focus on their son’s life. They also discussed some other arrangements for the service, including having his siblings cover his coffin with the pall.
None of that happened. Instead, the family got blindsided with a lecture about the sinfulness of suicide and its awful consequences. The family, relatives and classmates of the deceased were visibly distraught. Many of them did not know the young man had committed suicide. The father twice approached the pulpit asking the priest to stop the homily, but the priest refused and continued to the end of his sermon.
Since then, the story has received national attention. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, publicly reprimanded and sanctioned him. The youth’s mother recently filed a lawsuit against Fr. LaCuesta and the Archdiocese which details their grievances. 
I’m not sure why Catholic conservatives always feel compelled to defend their brethren, even in nonsensical situations. The Catholic World Report recently reprinted a column by Dr. Edward N. Peters about the incident entitled “God Bless Fr. LaCuesta.” Dr. Peter’s comments certainly earned him Honorable Mention in this week’s Pious Trash award.