So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
Posted on 05/28/2009 10:59:46 AM PDT by NYer
The Rev. Alberto Cutié, the celebrity priest removed from his Miami Beach church after photos of him kissing and embracing a woman appeared in the pages of a Spanish-language magazine earlier this month, will leave the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami to join the Episcopal church.
The small and private ceremony will happen early Thursday afternoon at Trinity Cathedral, the church's South Florida headquarters in downtown Miami. Bishop Leo Frade, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, will officiate.
Later, Cutié is expected to announce that he will marry his girlfriend, whom media reports have cited as 35-year-old Ruhama Buni Canellis, a divorced mother living in Miami Beach.
Cutié got into trouble with the Archdiocese of Miami earlier this month when compromising pictures of the 40-year old cleric were published in the Spanish-language magazine TVnotas. The magazine's cover showed the priest in blue shorts lying on his back embracing a woman with long brown hair, a violation of his vow of chastity. Additional photos inside the magazine showed him kissing the woman.
Such a relationship is not prohibited in the more liberal Episcopal church, which considers itself the "middle way'' between Protestantism and Catholicism. It ordains women and has an openly gay bishop.
The church represents the U.S. wing of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion and traces its roots to the Church of England, which broke from Rome in the 16th century.
Cutié will initially be a lay person in the Episcopal church … not a priest. The process of a Catholic priest becoming an Episcopal priest takes at least a year, experts say.
While not having the same authority as a priest, Bishop Frade plans to give Cutié special status as a lay minister, meaning he can preach in Episcopal churches but not celebrate the Eucharist, the symbolic body and blood of Christ.
In previous interviews, Frade had said he and Cutié had spoken following the media frenzy surrounding the priest, which included an appearance on CBS' The Early Show and Spanish-language network Univision, in addition to national and international newspapers.
In the interviews, Cutié has said he loves the woman and hinted at marriage and kids in the future.
Frade, who has been friends with Cutié for seven years and first met him through a Cuban ecumenical group, has said the popular priest had also spoken privately with leaders of other Christian denominations, such as Baptists and Lutherans. It is unclear if those conversations focused on joining those churches.
In South Florida, at least five former Catholic priests serve in the Episcopal church. Nationally, there are more than 100 Episcopal priests who were once Catholic.
"It's possible to receive a Catholic priest straight into the Episcopal priesthood,'' said Bishop C. Christopher Epting, the church's national Deputy for Ecumenical and Inter religious Relations. Cutié would need to pass an examination in church history and doctrine and have two Catholic priests recommend his "moral and Godly character,'' but he could bypass the seminary.
While the Episcopal and Catholic churches have almost identical worship services, there are also significant differences. Episcopals do not believe in the infallibility of the Pope, nor do they believe in transubstantiation … that during the consecration of the Mass, the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ.
Ping!
Sexual deviancy...Episcopal...what a shock.
Delighted to hear this. I wish more jerks would leave the Catholic Church.
But, but, the boy’s a Cutié!
I would not exactly call a man falling in love with a woman “sexual deviancy”. I’m no fan of the Episcopal Church but obviously Pastor Cutie can no longer remain a priest and I guess for him this is his best option.
A guy digging on a chick is now “sexual deviancy”?
The story is factually incorrect.
“While not having the same authority as a priest, Bishop Frade plans to give Cutié special status as a lay minister, meaning he can preach in Episcopal churches but not celebrate the Eucharist, the symbolic body and blood of Christ.”
Catholics consider the Eucharist THE BODY OF CHRIST. It is not symbolic.
Let him embarrass THAT Church!
The article was written by a guy named Jaweek Kaleem. What can ya expect.
The Episcopal Church should be more circumspect about accepting Catholic clergy than they are, IMHO. Not that I have anything against Catholic clergy, mind you. But Fr. Cutié took a solemn vow of chastity when he accepted his Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. For him to renege on that solemn vow and step over to the Episcopal Clergy should be less of a seamless transition.
If he was willing to throw over one solemn vow, how will he react when he faces the next temptation? I’m not saying that it is impossible for him to be a good Episcopal Priest, but we should not automatically assume that he will, just because we don’t require celibate clergy.
No thanks. We don’t need him.
Hurray! We need more heterosexuals in the Episcopal Church.
We should at least think about it before saying “Okey Dokey!”
I’m glad this is over. All the shows in Miami have been about this guy. Did he kiss her? Did he fart? Did he drink a beer? bla, bla, bla...
I'm sorry, but of what possible relevance is the name of the article's author?
I agree.
So, what is he gonna do after divorce in the Episcopal church?
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