Thousands of Catholics gathered outside Dodger Stadium on Friday to protest the team’s “Pride Night” celebration, where they plan to honor the anti-Catholic group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
And it wasn’t long before the crowd of protesters grew so large that they blocked one of the major entrances to the stadium.
BREAKING: Thousands of Catholics have shut down the main entrance to Dodger Stadium on Vin Scully avenue in protest of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence being honored tonight.
They are now lining the sidewalks and have taken over the entire block: pic.twitter.com/F5CSDvuap8
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) June 17, 2023
The Dodgers’ tenth annual “Pride Night” celebration will honor the anti-Catholic drag queen group with its “Community Hero Award” Friday night during a game against the visiting San Francisco Giants.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a “leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns,” according to the organization’s website.
After receiving backlash from religious groups, the Dodgers rescinded an invitation to the radical anti-Christian organization. However, the Dodgers walked back its decision and announced that the drag queen group would be re-invited to the team’s Pride Night.
The Dodgers offered its “sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and their friends and families” in a statement issued after the announcement.
“A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept,” the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said in a statement. “We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them.”
A crowd of reportedly more than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the stadium hours before the game started to protest the team’s decision to honor the anti-Catholic group.
The crowd could be heard praying, “Jesus, I trust in you,” according to a video uploaded to Twitter by Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez.
LOS ANGELES- A huge group of Catholics and Christians have already arrived outside of Dodger Stadium to pray in protest of the Dodgers honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
A drag group that has repeatedly mocked Christ and the Catholic faith: pic.twitter.com/oHPIeHoCI3
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) June 16, 2023
Jack Posobiec led the crowd in a Latin prayer as the demonstrators gathered.
Jack Posobiec leads prayer in Latin outside of Dodger Stadium during protest against the Dodgers honoring anti-Catholic drag queen group @JackPosobiec pic.twitter.com/YQ49Xtb1zm
— Jayne Zirkle (@JayneZirkle) June 16, 2023
Jack Posobiec leads the crowd of hundreds outside Dodgers Stadium in a Latin prayer. pic.twitter.com/ok7XWf0pa4
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 16, 2023
At one point, a Jewish rabbi took the stage to stand in solitary with the Catholic protesters.
“If you are anti-Catholic, you’re anti-religion, you’re anti-God, I got a problem with that,” the rabbi said.
“If you are anti-Catholic, you’re anti-religion, you’re anti-God, I got a problem with that”
A Jewish rabbi speaks in solidarity with the Catholics outside of Dodger Stadium. The crowd has exponentially grown in size and more people are still continuing to arrive: pic.twitter.com/6WiYRIWZvp
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) June 16, 2023
Other videos showed the Catholic demonstrators singing and praying in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium.
Catholics sing in protest against the LA Dodgers over the team’s decision to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. pic.twitter.com/q3hUoWeFj7
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 16, 2023
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds unite outside of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for a prayerful procession pic.twitter.com/EhOtm1OUri
— Jayne Zirkle (@JayneZirkle) June 16, 2023
The crowd reportedly cheered after one speaker declared that Catholics are in “a spiritual battle.”
Crowd cheers outside of Dodger Stadium as speaker John Henry Westen declares that Catholics are in “a spiritual battle.” pic.twitter.com/k6oTKrHglk
— Jayne Zirkle (@JayneZirkle) June 16, 2023
The Dodgers’ celebration of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence comes one week after the California state legislature also honored the group.
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard criticized the Dodgers and the California legislature for honoring the anti-Catholic drag queen group.
“So tonight is the night that the obscene Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are going to be honored and celebrated by the L.A. Dodgers,” Gabbard said in a video uploaded to Twitter on Friday. “So my question is this. Why should the L.A. Dodgers and state legislators be proud to honor and celebrate this group whose literal claim to fame is their offensive, anti-Catholic and anti-Christian religious bigotry?”
Why are the LA Dodgers and CA lawmakers proud to honor and celebrate anti-Catholic drag group ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,’ whose sole claim to fame is their anti-Christian religious bigotry? Everyone, regardless of our religious beliefs, should denounce such hate and… pic.twitter.com/DU99qRSqGm
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) June 16, 2023
Gabbard’s video showed footage of a dancer using a crucifix with an individual depicting Jesus Christ attached to it as a stripper pole.
“Now is the time that we all need to denounce this hate to denounce this bigotry no matter what your religion may be, or if you follow no religion at all,” Gabbard concluded.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.