Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles Calls for Support for Women Religious after Dodgers Team Awards Group that Mocks Nuns

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California, lead by Archbishop José Gomez, has called on “all Catholics and people of goodwill to stand against bigotry and hate in any form.” This follows actions of the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Team's reinstated plans to honor a group of self-described “leading-edge order of queer and trans nuns.”

California's "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" (a queer/trans group) were chosen to receive the Dodgers’ Community Hero Award for their community charity work at their annual “Pride Night” celebration June 16th. The motto of these "sisters" as displayed on their website and in marketing materials, is “Go forth and sin some more!”

Let's pray for all our women religious today, who do so much to make this a true City of the Angels. And let us work together to bring a spirit of peace and mutual respect to our community.

Read our latest on @AngelusNews: https://t.co/I4xlXOEZsi pic.twitter.com/8T5fuRe175

— Abp. José H. Gomez (@ArchbishopGomez) May 23, 2023

In a May 17 statement, the Dodgers announced that they would no longer receive the award “given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening.” Several Catholic groups, including The Catholic League and Catholic Vote, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, as well as Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, had criticized the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" for mocking the Catholic faith, and in particular, Catholic women religious.

However, the Dodgers changed their decision on May 22nd, after criticism from some fans and the news media. The team apologized and reinvited the group to “receive the gratitude of our collective communities” for their charity work.

In a statement released the following day, the archdiocese said it “stands against any actions that would disparage and diminish our Christian faith and those who dedicate their lives to Christ.”

“The decision to honor a group that clearly mocks the Catholic faith and makes light of the sincere and holy vocations of our women religious who are an integral part of our Church is what has caused disappointment, concern, anger, and dismay from our Catholic community,” the statement read.

The archdiocese said that women religious should be “honored and celebrated through genuine acts of appreciation, reverence, and respect for their sacred vows” and pointed to the array of charitable works carried out by sisters for the sick and needy, as well as their spiritual care for souls through prayer.

The message also called on Catholics to “show our care and respect for our women religious” in a variety of ways, including by sending messages of support to sisters through phone calls, letters, or social media or donating to their orders and/or charitable causes they support.
The Catholic League's president, Bill Donahue, said the team had “officially endorsed anti-Catholic bigotry” by inviting the group back.

“Only one side was listened to — the side that sponsors hate speech,” said Donohue of the “honest conversations” that the Dodgers said led to the reversal.

In a May 15 letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred after the initial invitation of the group, Rubio had questioned his previously stated commitment to being “inclusive and welcoming to everyone” and singled out one of the group’s recent Easter celebrations for featuring “children’s programming followed by a drag show where adult performers dress in blasphemous imitation of Jesus and Mary.”


Some of the biggest names in Dodgers history during their time in Los Angeles have been Catholic, including the late player and manager Gil Hodges, Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, late manager Tommy Lasorda, and the legendary broadcast announcer Vin Scully, who died last year. 

Edited from LA Catholics from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles