“Im sorry, I can’t hear you; I’ve got an LGBTQ banana in my ear!” In a post-session interview, Bishop McElroy said that in using the banana, he was attempting to demonstrate the way that Catholic anti-gay bigotry makes genuine dialogue impossible. “As Ernie and Bert could not communicate effectively because of the barrier between them, so also are faithful followers of Pope Francis unable to communicate with those who seek to destroy his campaign of mercy and inclusion. The Pope wants to rebuild the Church, as I tried to indicate with my cardboard cutout of the Holy Father bearing gift cards for The Home Depot and other stores. His critics just want to tear it down.”
