Prominent Canadian Priest Claims He's 'Gay', Blasts Vatican on Canadian National Radio

LifeSite ^ | December 6, 2005 | John-Henry Westen

[NYer]

TORONTO, December 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rev. Richard Renshaw, C.S.C., former Assistant Secretary General of the Canadian Religious Conference (1994-2002), exposed himself as a homosexual and supportive of the 'gay culture' on CBC radio on Sunday.  Renshaw made the revelations on CBC's The Sunday Edition hosted by anti-Catholic host Michael Enright who is known for his unrepentant 'joke' referencing the Catholic Church as "the greatest criminal organization outside of the Mafia."

Canadian Catholics who have wondered at the constant unorthodox stands of the Bishops' official development arm - the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) - will not be surprised to learn that Fr. Renshaw served as Deputy Executive Director at CCODP from November 2002 till he became the Interim Executive Director there in May last year - a post he held till this spring.

The latest Vatican document restating the Church's position against the ordination of men who "are actively homosexual, have deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture" was apparently too much for Renshaw who not only revealed himself as "gay" on the program, but also admitted to preaching in favour of the 'gay culture'. (see coverage on new Vatican document http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112903.html ) Referring to the new document, Renshaw said, "There is a way in which this touches me very directly."  He continued, "I clearly supported gay causes for quite some time . . . There's no way I can deny I've done that very publicly . . .  I've spoken at gay pride, preached in churches about gay pride, I support the issues."

Renshaw, one of the founders of KAIROS, the Canadian ecumenical coalition on social justice and international solidarity, slammed the official Church teaching that homosexuality is an "objective disorder".  This teaching, he said, and the new Vatican directive, are examples of "how the church humiliates and shames people."  He also noted that his theological formation, which he said he received in Rome, "has never been of the slightest use to me".

"I feel there's some kind of a phobia in church leadership at the highest level," said Renshaw.  Enright pressed him to say "homophobia" and that it was "at the highest level, the Holy Father himself?" but after a pause, Renshaw merely responded, "at the highest levels."

Living in Montreal, Renshaw oddly says that although he is not permitted to say Mass publicly and hear confessions, he is nonetheless "not censured, not suspended, I'm a religious in good standing."

Renshaw said that in his 40 years of hearing confessions he didn't think anyone had told him a sin.  In the interview he also questioned if homosexuality itself was sinful.

Exposing his bias, Enright said with fervour, "You're doing what I take it the founding father of the Christian religion said you should do . . . What the hell difference does it make, your sexual orientation?!"

Renshaw is the second Canadian Catholic priest in recent months to expose his homosexuality in the broadcast media.  LifeSiteNews.com reported that in October, Vision TV, a television network heavily supported by Canada's National Catholic Broadcasting Corporation, featured a Catholic priest. Fr. Karl Clemens, who claimed to be the first in the country to "come out" as homosexual on television. (see the coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05102402.html )

Hear the audio of the CBC interview with Fr. Renshaw:
http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/media/renshaw_s...

To express concerns to CBC ombudsman:
E-mail:
ombudsman@cbc.ca

Mail:
Office of the Ombudsman
CBC
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6
Fax: 416/205-2825
Tel.: 416/205-2978

To Montreal Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte
-phone (514)931-7311; fax (514) 931-3432  email: chancellerie@diocesemontreal.org

See also
Vatican 'Gay' Priest Ban Forcing Dissidents Out of the Closet
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112307.html

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[gidget7]

What attracts them is 1. It's a place to further their agenda, that place being the Church, the Bible, and Christianity as a whole. TO try to force the acceptance at the ultimate opposition.

2. Their is close contact with lots of men, and boys.

There are a few, who have left the lifestyle and found the Lord, however they are no longer homosexual.

[narses]

+

[Antoninus]

This is turning out better than expected.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking.

[Antoninus]

What attracts homos to this job?

Satan has wanted to destroy the Church from day one. The plague of homos is just his latest attempt.

[Antoninus]

Living in Montreal, Renshaw oddly says that although he is not permitted to say Mass publicly and hear confessions, he is nonetheless "not censured, not suspended, I'm a religious in good standing.

Apparently, in his mind, lying isn't a sin either.

[spunkets]

" He also noted that his theological formation, which he said he received in Rome, "has never been of the slightest use to me"."

The Pope should borrow Rummy's zot for awhile. Maybe some Freepers could donate some kitties.

[OpusatFR]

I'm pretty ignorant of my own faith sometimes.

If I had to hazard a guess, I suppose that the absolution given which is formulaic, (at least I hope he gave absolution), is given alter Christus. St. Francis was very clear in that Christ acts through even the sinful, unrepentent priest in the Consecration. I can't think that it would be any different in Confession. Although, the sin must be repented for the Confession to be valid.

The truly evil part is that many people, myself included, look to the priest for advice in overcoming a particular sin or a problem in a relationship. How many people left the Confessional perfectly happy because the priest gave them the, "There, there, be at peace," happys?

Any priests on board could clear that up. You raise an interesting situation.

[ArrogantBustard]

You're essentially revisiting the "Donatist Heresy" ... although with some slight differences. The basic claim of the Donatists was that Christians who had shown weakness in the face of Roman persecution (the emperor Diocletian, in particular, IIRC) had lost the ability to perform the Sacraments. Indeed, they seem to have thought that they had even ceased to be Christians, and needed to be re-baptised.

The problems were twofold: 1) the Donatists denied that the Sacraments (Baptism, Holy Orders) effect a permanent change in the person who received them and 2) that the effectiveness of the Sacrament depends on the personal holiness of the minister.

To the contrary, the Church holds that although the Sacrament is visibly performed by the minister, its effectiveness is solely by God's Grace, irrespective of the state of the minister's soul.

To your questions, then. God can forgive our sins any way He wants to. He has given us the Sacrament of Pennance as the ordinary way, but that does not limit Him. I believe that those who went, in good faith and contrition, had their sins forgiven ... what this bugger denied them was the good advice in avoiding sin that can come from a good confessor. Worse, he may have convinced them that sinful behaviour is not sinful ... what effect that may have on them I do not know, but for him to do it is monstrous. (Woe unto those whho call evil 'good' ...)

[polymuser]

"What attracts homos to this job?"

Evil always attacks good. That is its nature.

Bingo.