Posted on 03/29/2010 2:17:12 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
A Roman Catholic archbishop who resigned in 2002 over a sex and financial scandal involving a man has written a memoir that describes how he struggled with being gay.
Archbishop Rembert Weakland, former head of the Milwaukee archdiocese, "is up front about his homosexuality in a church that preferred to ignore gays," Publisher's Weekly wrote in a review Monday.
The book, "A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop," is set to be released in June and is described by the publisher as a self-examination by Weakland of his "psychological, spiritual and sexual growth."
The Vatican says that men with "deep-seated" attraction to other men should not be ordained.
Weakland stepped down quickly after Paul Marcoux, a former Marquette University theology student, revealed in May 2002 that he was paid $450,000 to settle a sexual assault claim he made against the archbishop more than two decades earlier. The money came from the archdiocese.
Marcoux went public at the height of anger over the clergy sex abuse crisis, when Catholics and others were demanding that dioceses reveal the extent of molestation by clergy and how much had been confidentially spent to settle claims.
Weakland denied ever assaulting anyone. He apologized for concealing the payment.
In an August 1980 letter that was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Weakland said he was in emotional turmoil over Marcoux and signed the letter, "I love you."
"During the last months, I have come to know how strained I was, tense, pensive, without much joy," Weakland wrote. "I felt like the world's worst hypocrite. So gradually I came back to the importance of celibacy in my life."
The revelations rocked the Milwaukee archdiocese, which Weakland had led since 1977. But when he publicly read a letter of apology for the scandal, Milwaukee parishioners gave him a a standing ovation.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee released a public statement last week alerting local Catholics that the book is soon to be published and that it deals in part with Weakland's relationship with Marcoux and the scandal.
"Some people will be angry about the book, others will support it," the archdiocese said.
Weakland, who has been a hero for liberal Catholics because of his work on social justice and other issues, will also address in the memoirs his failures to stop abusive priests.
In a videotaped deposition released last November, Weakland admitted returning guilty priests to active ministry without alerting parishioners or police.
Advocates for abuse victims said that Weakland's cover up of his own sexual activity was part of a pattern of secrecy that included concealing the criminal behavior of child molesters.
The archbishop did not respond Monday to an e-mail request for comment. Weakland, a Benedictine, plans to move to St. Mary's Abbey in Morristown, N.J., this summer.
U.S. Catholics have long debated whether the priesthood had become a predominantly gay vocation. Estimates vary from 25 percent to 50 percent, according to a review of research on the issue by the Rev. Donald Cozzens, author of "The Changing Face of the Priesthood."
Cozzens, a former seminary rector, said in an interview that Weakland's acknowledgment of his sexual orientation "cuts into the denial that relatively few priests or bishops are gay."
But Russell Shaw, a former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, questioned whether the book would have much impact.
"That one controversial archbishop acknowledges what everybody's known for several years," Shaw said, "I don't think that's going to make any big difference."
Not for Catholics, no. And I would hope not for anyone.
If you don't understand the Sacrament of Marriage, I don't think you should be criticizing priests counseling married couples about sex.
what about all those letters that paul wrote?
I'll get back to you on #55.
As the Catholic Church is the true faith and the church that Jesus founded the Catholic Church can never fall and must remain until Christ returns.
A far better VETTING!! The others are silly.
As is Holy Orders.
And I believe the requirement for Protestants ministers is graduation from seminary - at most.
I mean no offense by this, but really, if you’re a Baptist you have no business commenting on Catholic affairs, especially if you were raised that way.
So that makes them so much better right s/
It is not good for man to be alone. A man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife. Genesis.
>> He wants the best from you! If you can’t give it, you must not love Him enough. You are to give that to him, in Chastity as well, until marriage, and then be chaste in marriage and in priesthood alike forever.
Celibacy is but one option. Marriage is the other. It is clear from Paul’s writings that celibacy is a great option for a few, and marriage is the only option for many more whose sexual urges will not allow them lifelong celibacy.
>> it’s not the big deal that unmarried folks think it is, that short-term married folks think it is, that little faith people think it is.
Paul himself said that celibacy is not for everyone.
SnakeDoc
“it’s clear to me that the current Pope needs to resign and that they need to allow priests to marry so they can clean house of homosexuals and pedophiles.”
Yes, because we all know that there are no homosexuals or pedophiles in protestant churches. Yeah, scrap tradition and go with something that doesn’t work.
You are right though that the Vatican needs to clean house. Starting with Weakland. He covered up the sexual assault for nearly 40 years.
Who's next? Ricky Martin?
“Celibacy is but one option. Marriage is the other. It is clear from Paul’s writings that celibacy is a great option for a few, and marriage is the only option for many more whose sexual urges will not allow them lifelong celibacy.”
Then don’t permit men with sexual urges to become priests. Better to have fewer faithful priests than more unfaithful ones.
“Yeah, scrap tradition and go with something that doesn’t work.”
What about a novel concept: like a Biblical standard.
Depends entirely on the church. There is zero seminary requirement in most churches wrt to pastors. You could literally walk in with a recommendation and start preaching from the pulpit the next day.
That would be just the beginning of the differences between what is expected of a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister.
Without understanding the differences, it’s difficult to understand the issue.
Which is Biblical. Ever read the Book of Acts?
Where’s the biblical standard which states that all priests must be married?
If that were so, then why was Paul, who was celibate permitted to be an Apostle?
There is nothing contrary to scripture in having celibate priests. Paul himself argues to the contrary that the one who is married to God does not have his attention divided. That sounds pretty biblical to me.
Yes, I have copies of many. What about them?
I’m not one to support an arrogant and self righteous preacher. It tends to show up in every aspect of their life.
“Ever read the Book of Acts?”
Sure have. Never saw where it says: “celibacy is a curse and all priests must be married.” In fact they appoint celibate men to have authority over the others.
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