Catholics are expressing outrage on social media after the United States Embassy to the Holy See paraded a Progress Pride Flag on the façade of its embassy building in Rome.
The embassy, headed by pro-abortion and pro- LGBTQI+ ambassador Joseph Donnelly, displayed images of the offensive flag on its Twitter and Facebook platforms on Thursday, trumpeting its support for #pridemonth #humanrights and #inclusion.
"During the month of June," the United States "celebrates Pride Month," the posts boasted. The "US Embassy to the Holy See (Vatican) stands with the LBGTQI+ community against discrimination and other forms of persecution because of who they are and whom they love."
"You clearly have no respect for the Holy See. Are you flying the rainbow flag in Muslim countries?" Catholic academic and pro-lifer Dr. Colin Harte asked the U.S. embassy on Twitter.
"I dare you to pull this stunt in a middle eastern country or in Pakistan!" Lisa Leopold shot back on Facebook. "The USA doesn't need to be promoting their colonization around the world. If you can't respect Catholics, you shouldn't be there!"
"This is pure blasphemy. I wonder if they'll do the same in Saudi Arabia?" Idaho State Rep. Heather Scott asked in a retweet of the embassy's post.
The U.S. Embassy to Italy, located in a building adjacent to the embassy to the Vatican, is also flying the Progress Pride Flag, despite Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni's criticism of the LGBTQI+ so-called pride month and the leader's support for the traditional family.
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights slammed Donnelly's appointment by President Joe Biden in October 2021, describing the new ambassador as a "rogue Catholic" who flipped from pro-life to pro-abortion.
"When Donnelly served as a congressman from Indiana (2007–2013), he was pro-life, but when he became a U.S. senator (2013–2019), he pivoted and joined the pro-abortion camp," the organization stated.
"NARAL, the pro-abortion giant, gave him a 0% score in 2016, but he jumped to 84% in 2017 and 80% in 2018," Catholic League added, noting that Donnelly voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2010, even though the bill required Catholic non-profits to pay for abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.
In August 2015, Donnelly voted not to fund abortion giant Planned Parenthood, but four months later, he voted to fund it. In 2018, he once again voted to have the taxpayers fund this abortion behemoth, the Catholic organization pointed out.
In 2007, Donnelly was one of 14 House Democrats who opposed expanding the hate crimes law to include offenses based on a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. Later that year, Donnelly voted to prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for gay rights, said Donnelly was on its side 80–85% of the time during his first four years in the U.S. Senate.
"I have concluded that the right thing to do is to support marriage equality for all," Donnelly wrote on Facebook in a 2013 post supporting so-called gay marriage.
Donnelly served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013, representing Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, and was a U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019.
"Joe has been an exemplary public servant in Congress, an invaluable friend of Notre Dame and of me personally, and he is an ideal choice to represent the United States at the Vatican," Holy Cross Fr. John I. Jenkins said in a statement after the White House announced Donnelly's appointment as ambassador to the Holy See.
"He will bring to this role a deep understanding of the issues currently facing our nation and the world, a genuine Catholic faith and an understanding of the role the church can play in our world," Jenkins, the current president of the University of Notre Dame, said.
Donnelly taught courses on American politics, public policy and leadership at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs. The pro-abortion ambassador graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1977 and earned his law degree from Notre Dame four years later.
On June 1, the Catholic university announced on Twitter: "Happy #PrideMonth! We celebrate all LGBTQ+ identities and reaffirm our commitment to being a welcoming, safe and supportive place for ALL members of the Notre Dame family."
Under Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican vetoed three of former President Barack Obama's appointed ambassadors because of their pro-abortion positions. Candidates rejected by the Holy See included Caroline Kennedy, former president John F. Kennedy's daughter.
Vatican sources told Italy's Il Giornale newspaper that the pope had rejected Kennedy and two other Roman Catholics because they had publicly stood against Catholic dogma and moral teaching.
Last year, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See flew a gay pride rainbow flag, but has now "upgraded" to the Progress Pride flag, which was designed in 2018 by "nonbinary" American artist Daniel Quasar (who uses xe/xyr pronouns).
For Quasar, the light blue, pink and white stripes represent trans and non-binary individuals and the brown and black ones represent "people of color." The black stripe has a double meaning, as it is also representative of people with AIDS.
"This new design forces the viewer to reflect on their [sic] own feelings towards the original Pride flag and its meaning, as well as the differing opinions on who that flag really represents, while also bringing into clear focus the current needs within our community," Quasar claims.