The current issue of DNA Magazine, a gay men's magazine out of Australia, features an interview with a homosexual Catholic priest who spills the beans about himself and his colleagues. While the article is restricted to authorized users, a summary "teaser" has been posted on Seeking Media:A gay Catholic priest has revealed that up to half of priests, both gay and straight, are sexually active.
"I have not been able to keep my vow of celibacy," the priest says, speaking exclusively to DNA Magazine's Nick Cook in the current issue.
"Sometimes I need to be held and cared for - and I enjoy the sex.
"I know that for a large part of the world it means I'm not a good priest, but without it I'd be a worse one."
To protect the priest's identity he is known in the story as ‘James'.
James says he strongly opposes the Church's stance towards homosexuality.
"I'm speaking out because far too many people have suffered under the Church's teaching on homosexuality. I just can't accept it and I haven't for years," he says.
When asked if he thinks he's the only sexually active priest James says, "I know I'm not.
"I suspect that anywhere up to, if not more than, 50 percent of Catholic priests are not, or have not always been, celibate.
"I know of priests who have had long-term relationships with women.
"Celibacy is for some people but it's not everybody. That's why I think celibacy imposed is wrong whether you're gay or heterosexual."
James is out to a number of other priests and his bishop knows that he is both gay and sexually active.
"My bishop is a good man. He himself would have issues with the Church teaching on this."
As part of the story DNA went to a Mass for gays at St Joseph's Church in the Sydney suburb of Newtown and spoke to Father Peter Maher, who happily hands out communion to gay men despite the Church ruling that those who are sexually active are living in mortal sin and should not receive it.
When told about James' circumstance Father Peter simply shrugs. "Whether a priest is gay or not makes no difference to me," he says, stating that he knows a number of gay priests.
He adds: "There are plenty of priests who have failed to live celibate... That would not change my opinion of the priest at all."
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1 comment:
We live in a world full of Double standards and hypocrisy. The church is the worst. They created all theses laws within the church and repressed all priests their basic human rights of having human relationships of any kind. Which is so immoral. God would be appalled by the Church and it's behaviour to his fellow man. The Church needs to modernise itself, otherwise it will become redundant in the future. Can't wait to read the rest of the article.
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