Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
San Francisco cathedral sprinkler aimed for safety, not homeless

San Francisco cathedral sprinkler aimed for safety, not homeless

Last updated on: March 18, 2015 at 11:09 pm by CNA Daily News

San Francisco cathedral sprinkler aimed for safety, not homeless 2015-03-18T23:09:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

San Francisco, Calif., Mar 18, 2015 / 05:09 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- San Francisco’s cathedral installed a special sprinkler system to wash out “needles, feces and other dangerous items” from its doorways – and never intended to remove homeless people sleeping there, the archdiocese has explained in the face of media attacks.

“The problem was particularly dangerous because students and elderly people regularly pass these locations on their way to school and Mass every day,” San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William Justice said March 18.

“The purpose was to make the Cathedral grounds as well as the homeless people who happen to be on those grounds safer.”

Bishop Justice, who is also rector of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, said the cathedral installed the system about two years ago after learning from “city resources” that such a system was in common use in the city’s financial district for “safety, security and cleanliness.”

The Archdiocese of San Francisco told CNA that members of the San Francisco Police Department had recommended the system to the cathedral’s previous rector.

Bishop Justice said dangerous items such as needles and feces were regularly being left in the cathedral’s hidden doorways.

He said people who were regularly sleeping in the doorways were informed in advance that the sprinklers were being installed.

“The idea was not to remove those persons, but to encourage them to relocate to other areas of the cathedral, which are protected and safer.”

An initial report from San Francisco KCBS, which cited a cathedral staff member, claimed that the sprinkler system had been installed “to keep the homeless from sleeping in the cathedral’s doorways.”

The sprinkler system ran for about 75 seconds every 30 to 60 minutes. Reporters saw several homeless people and their belongings become soaked by the water and said the sprinkler system was ineffective at cleaning the area and lacked a drainage system.

Bishop Justice apologized that the cathedral’s intentions had been misunderstood and described the sprinkler system method as “ill-conceived.”
“It actually has had the opposite effect from what it was intended to do, and for this we are very sorry.”

He noted that the San Francisco archdiocese and the St. Vincent de Paul Society are “the largest supporter of services for the homeless in San Francisco.”

“Every year, it helps many thousands of people through food, housing, shelter programs for people at risk including homeless mothers and families, and in countless other ways,” the bishop said. “St. Mary's Cathedral is a huge part of that program, and does more than any other Catholic church.”

Only hours after the first news report on the cathedral water system, the City of San Francisco issued a formal notice that the sprinkler system violates building and safety codes. Bishop Justice said the archdiocese had already started to remove the system.

Negative coverage of the cathedral did not come in a vacuum.

The San Francisco archdiocese is presently the target of protests, critical media coverage and political pressure after Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced changes to archdiocesan high school teachers’ handbooks intended to clarify Catholic religious and moral teachings. He also announced, and later withdrew, a proposed clause to Catholic high schools’ teacher contracts outlining teachers’ ministerial role.

The political reaction included a March 6 resolution from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors against the archbishop’s proposal.

Board member Mark Farrell, who sponsored the resolution, claimed in a March 18 tweet that the sprinkler system was “inhumane and appalling.”

Media coverage could be aggravated by the involvement of Sam Singer, founder of the influential San Francisco-based communications firm Singer Associates, whose clients include the Chevron oil company and prominent San Francisco newspapers.

Singer told the SF Weekly newspaper that “concerned parents” are paying for his services in their dispute with the archbishop. While the SF Weekly report indicated that the parents are from the Catholic high schools, Singer told the National Catholic Reporter that he was in fact hired by parents, alumni and others opposed to the actions of Father Joseph Illo, a pastor at Star of the Sea Church and its K-8 school. The pastor’s decisions include having only male altar servers.

However, Singer is aiming at Archbishop Cordileone.

“Everyone is praying that the Pope will remove the San Francisco Archbishop and these priests,” he said in a Feb. 18 Google+ post that referenced the Our Lady Star of the Sea controversy.

Singer’s social media accounts are publicizing negative interpretations of the archbishop and the archdiocese while promoting stories siding with the protesters. His Twitter account promoted press coverage of cathedral’s sprinkler system, as well as some individuals’ negative reactions.

Previous Post

March 18, 2015

Pope Francis has called for a Holy Year of Mercy – so what does that mean?

Next Post

March 19, 2015 Children of gay and lesbian parents write letter of support to Dolce, Gabbana

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the first high priest of Israel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joshua Caleb Moses Aaron