A Catholic priest who put up a "Jesus had 2 dads ... and he turned out just fine" sign has quickly removed it, following a backlash from some within the Catholic community.

 

The sign went up last week. It seemed to suggest that St. Columba-Brigid Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, NY, supported queer families. Horror! The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo ordered the sign be taken down on Monday.

 

Rev. Roy Herberger, who set up the sign, said it was all a misunderstanding. He simply wanted to express his support for children with stepparents -- not for icky same-sex parents.

 

"I only had one purpose," he said. "After 48 years in the church, I see so many kids with stepparents, or even in single-family homes or being raised by grandparents, who feel that they're not as good as other kids who have nuclear mother and father family. I wanted to provide support and understanding for kids in that situation."

 

"As soon as I learned of this sign, I took immediate action to have it removed," Bishop Richard J. Malone said in a statement. "There are several children in his parish who have both a father and stepfather ... however, given the potential for the meaning of this message to be misunderstood and even perceived in a heretical way, it was immediately removed."

 

To be fair, the priest should have known how the message would have been interpreted. (Or maybe, just maybe, he did ... )