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."
Also....generally when a Protestant Pastor or decon etc. is found out there is no question he is outed....he is discharged entirely from the ministry...and usually encouraged to seek professional help taking years. Not uncomman charges are pressed depending on the parties involved.
>> The Catholic Church needs NO reforming, thank you very much,,,,,,BUTT OUT since you don’t belong!! You are on the side that WANTS to bring down the Church.....you must be so proud of yourself. And your name is GRACE!!! <<
So you are a water carrier for the Church and everything int he Roman Catholic church is all Posh and Perfect, right?
I am on the side that has seen the church go from somthing great to something that ignores the education of the youth, while at the same time abuses those same youth they don’t want to educate. While also catering to old people to play BINGO because of the money they donate to the church when they kick the bucket and their daily donations as many seasoned citizens who go to church do so daily.
They are more concerned about their bottom line than by the saving of the souls of the youth.
What is your solution to this problem? I am listening my child.
>> the Church as an organisation is flawed as the people who make it up are flawed.
Hence the gratuitous, unrelated jabs at Catholics and Nuns.
Isn't it obvious that I'm an atheist? /sarc
>> I was raised Catholic, I am now a Christian but not Catholic
You mean, “I was raised Catholic, I am now a Protestant and both Catholics and Protestants are Christians.”
Right? <<
Well, YES!
People are NOT perfect, but the Church is.
Haggard had a pretty rough go after being outed, if I’m not mistaken. He was run out of his church (and the State of Colorado) on a rail, was banned from preaching, and was excommunicated. He ended up a dead-broke traveling insurance salesman for a while, if I’m not mistaken.
He has confessed his struggle with homosexuality, and I think he’s taken up a small church somewhere ... wherein the parishoners are fully aware of his struggle with perversion.
SnakeDoc
Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was once married and had children. His case was not unique by any means. Former conservative Republican Congressman Robert Bauman was married with kids before being caught in a gay bar.
So, when a Protestant falls, it is weakness of his character. When a Catholic does the same thing, it is due to institutional failings.
>> Wrong.....there are some EVIL Priests....I’ve met some and have REPORTED them....the Pope has NOTHING to do with this. They are trying to bring him down because he’s HOLY and CONSERVATIVE. <<
I don’t think the Pope is gay, I think he is a good man. I think there are some Cardinals in the Church at Rome who are and there will be a “ides of March” type even in Rome 2,000 years after the first if something isn’t done to fix the problems in ROME.
Saying POSH makes you sound like you are a LIBERAL!!
Marriage is not a guarantee of non-homosexuality (attraction to women can be faked) ... but it is a better safeguard than is celibacy (wherein attraction to women need not even be faked).
SnakeDoc
I think they are just trying to see what the Popes involvement has been if any at all. While they do this the press will have a circus as they always do. If the Pope has nothing to hide I suspect he’ll have no problem co-operating.
The real problem here are the priests and others who never considered, and didn’t care one iota, the impact of their behavior on the Pope, the congregations and the church entire. Sin always impacts others and the greater sin it is the greater the impact and those it will touch. In this case the ripples have hit the entire church al the way to the top.
Yep. St. Paul too.
Geesh, didn’t you read the reports? The Pope knew NOTHING until years and years later. This scandal was in the 70’s!!!
>> I am praying for your hatred to end because your school was closed. Did your parents SUPPORT the school and do everything possible??? Or did they just complain??
People are NOT perfect, but the Church is. <<
The Church as an Idea and something to live up to is perfect.
The Church as an organisation is clearly not.
Did you bother to read my other post on this thread or are you just spoiling for a fight?
>> Saying POSH makes you sound like you are a LIBERAL!! <<
Nice Argument, that will win a debate in debate club.
I see you didn;t answer the question about what your parents did to SUPPORT the CHRUCH and the SCHOOL!! Did they think it was FREE??? geeesh.
Labeled you as a jealous person though.
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