Vandals have spray painted angry messages protesting the Catholic Church's support for Proposition 8 on the Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco's Castro district even though the parish is considered to be gay friendly. Parishioners plan to arrive early for Tuesday morning Mass so they can paint over swastikas and other graffiti that someone scrawled on the building, SF Gate reports.
A priest walking his dog early Sunday outside the church at 100 Diamond St. found the black swastikas and angry messages about Proposition 8, the state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that voters approved in November, a church employee said.
The initiative received prominent support from Catholics, including San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, who used his position as former bishop of Salt Lake City to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to campaign for Prop. 8.
The vandals wrote Niederauer's name on the side of the church along with the question, "Where is the love?"
However, Most Holy Redeemer is widely known as a gay-friendly parish that in years past has marched in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade.
Many parishioners voted against Prop 8 and they are upset their church was targeted, ABC Local says.
"We're very disturbed by the hierarchy's support of the Yes on Eight Campaign. We've been in conversation with the bishop, which is the way I think we need to handle it. I think Catholic teaching shows us we're all a community and we all need to talk to one another about it even if we have disagreements," said Rob Hopckey.
San Francisco Police are investigating the vandalism.
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