Celebrity priest punished after being caught with woman

[TracyJ]

It comes down to one thing, OBEDIENCE. If as a priest you cannot be obedient to Holy Mother Church then what’s to stop you from becoming disobedient in other aspects of your vocation as a priest? **A priest takes a vow of celibacy ** and he broke that vow. This is not the case of a seminarian who is wrestling with whether or not he should get married or become priest. Father Alberto broke his vows and did so in a very public way that has caused scandal and there will probably be thousands of disillusioned Catholic’s who will distance themselves from the church because of his actions.

The severity of the consequences of his actions cannot be taken lightly.

It is not a dogma that a Latin Rite priest cannot marry but a church discipline. Just as some Eastern Christian rites have their church discipline in allowing their priests to marry. But even with certain Eastern rites allowing priests to be married, they also take their vows when ordained and must be obedient to their respective churches.

And obedience is what it all comes down to.

I agree with you that this might cause scandal but I believe that it won’t be a huge
scandal, what non-Catholics will say is that the Church should allow priests to marry.
From what I hear this priest has given comfort to many souls, it would be a shame to
lose him.
This is NOT a situation on par with child molestation!
We’re talking two adults in a consensual relationship.

 

[TracyJ]

I use to watch Padre Alberto when he would do interviews and even when he had his own show on Spanish televison, but, the moment that I heard him make a comment several years ago concerning homosexuality on a show called Quien tiene la razon? (Who is right?) that went completely against the teachings of the church I told myself that I would never again watch any interview or program associated with this priest.

In the interview he was asked his opinion on homosexuality and he answered (I am paraphrasing) “that science was starting to prove that homosexuality is genetic” By their fruits you shall know them…

I prayed for Padre Alberto but something inside of me knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be involved in a major scandal. I even said this to family members several years ago after he made that comment on homosexuality.

As I was flipping the channels today I accidentally came across an interview with Padre Alberto and I was shocked to see him doing an interview in Spanish for a show called “Aqui y Ahora” (Here and Now) with Maria Elvira (you can see it on youtube but I will NOT post a link to it). I was going to change the channel but out of charity and my belief that with God nothing is impossible and that he would be truly repentant, I watched it and could only stomach a few minutes of it before I changed the channel.

This priest was all smiling throughout the interview and when asked about the woman he was having an affair with he said “what attracted me to her is that she is woman of tremendous faith”. Then when asked if he felt sorry for what he had been doing he said "Did I feel culpable?..did I feel bad?..horrible?..no. Because I believe that I am a man, I never stopped being a man because I put on my cassock. Underneath this cassock are pants. I believe that I have always been a man and am part of the human condition."

I have never in my life felt so much indignation as I do now. And I am filled with righteous anger that this priest is allowed to make such interviews and hurt so many of the faithful through his actions.

Lord have mercy on me for feeling such anger and give me peace because I cannot even pray for this man right now.

I am so sorry that you were so hurt by the words of this priest, but quite frankly I don’t think
that he’s all that bad. He probably should leave the priesthood and find other work.

 

[debraran]

Men have entered the priesthood for years for reason that weren’t always based on holiness. Some were gay, some were without reasonable tools for getting a good job, some enticed with the power and privilege of being a priest (back in the 60’s they had 3 priests to a parish sometimes and a maid!) They get a stipend, a home, car, etc.
The difference today is that they are so much more open about it. Something is wrong in the seminary, are they lieing the whole time, are the priests teaching them, giving them the “wink and nod” just wanting a body and secretly agreeing with them? You can tell some have an agenda by how the do they mass and talk to parishoners alone
.
I don’t have hard evidence but I think that diocesin priests have more of this because livng very poor in a community leaves a lot less “wiggle room” That might be why after my “reversion” back to the faith, I was very attracted to orders like the Dominicas near me, Fr. Groechels order and others like them. You can’t run neighborhood parish’s with them, but they have a prayer life that is more devout or maybe more easily kept. I can’t imagine a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal rolling in the sand at the beach with a woman, but they freedom is different and to live that life, you have to be commited and know when you are sinning.

I don’t understand when a Catholic priest leaves the church to become another Christian priest…either you believed in the Eucharist or you didn’t, how can you pretend?

 

[Joseph_L_Varga]

The frontpage story in the Miami Herald today:

Priest’s confession: I’m in love

Speaking to reporters for the first time since a celibacy scandal broke, the Rev. Alberto Cutie said he is considering marriage and a family​

The “experts” will be out in full force for the next several months, lecturing us on how celibacy doesn’t work. Just like how pre-marital abstinence doesn’t work, during Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. This is a sweet victory for them, let them enjoy it.

When did I hear the “I’m in love” line for the last time? …Oh yeah, when some celebrity broke his vows and left his wife for his mistress…

 

[markeverett49]

Satan and his demons are determined to weight the priests down with more harrassment and temptations than we laypeople have to endure. <<<<<<<

Although this may be true, it does not speak to the issue of chastity because all people are called to chastity, not just priests. Is it okay for other single men to fool around because they are tempted? I think not!

That said, I’m troubled by the way Miami is handling this case, by speaking as if it were only a matter of unchastity. That is not true. Many priests have transgressed in this way without losing their faculties over it. Fr. Cutie’s case is a scandal not because of his actions themselves but because of their publicity. Granted, priests are public people and should act with discretion even in their sins. I’m not defending the priest. But I am saying it is false that he is being punished because he seems to have fornicated. I know priests who fornicate with other priests and their bishops remain mute in the face of it. They know but can conveniently pretend not to know.

 

[turtle18]

Maybe it is impossible for a media priest to act in humility, but instead of letting the issue die and handling it privately within the Archdiocese, he grants a front page interview to the Miami-Herald Leader? Everything he has done, he has done publicly, he broke his promise in public and now he is taking his story public. His comments are disheartening–he apparently lusted after this woman while he was saying Mass?

His girlfriend is not free to marry in the Church, as she is divorced & still considered married in the eyes of God.

 

[debraran]

What bothers me too is that he didn’t seem to care if he was caught, a public beach is not the usual clandestine tryst.
I don’t know if there will be any other fall-out from this, but it shouldn’t be ignored or sensationalized. There is a problem with some of the seminaries and there are issues to be attended too. Fr.Groechel, (I don’t want to misquote him) said there are many places that should be closed, orders that should be left to wither away with their dwindling numbers and we will start again, with limited numbers but more holy religious. I don’t think sin will ever go away, that priests will be less sinful, but maybe more in the future, will be less secular. There is a problem with just graduating and then being put in a position with a lot of power and little supervision. If you are a good looking priest (or sister) there will be more temptations but sometimes just being a religious is a “pull” for many men and women, a challenge. Men and women should be taught, that if they are in the public, they will probably fall in love (some seminaries stress this) they will feel very attracted to certain people and certain life styles, but with God’s grace and prayer, can overcome it. I think having retreats helps a little and many priests have told me they just don’t have the preistly friends being alone and short-handed. They do need a lot of prayer and support.

I respected the fact that Fr. Francis kept pretty quiet about his life and although he might write a book, took himself out of the limelight for now. Humility is hard for some, impossible for others.

 

[turtle18]

You have to remember, our Church is bigger than the actions of one ego-driven media manic priest. It is not about him–he is doing so much damage to our Church. AND what about all the other priests out there who are faithful; who struggle with temptation and resist it?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t know anything about this priest, but my immediate sense was one of relief that it was with a woman.

A bad business, but have we really gotten to a point where it is unforgiveable for priests to sin? I’m not sure where he goes from here, but sin is sin and penance is penance, and if he does penance and repents, he’s just as good wtih me as if he had never done it.

 

[debraran]

Ridgerunner, that’s true, but if the priest isn’t really sorry, or wants to change church rules, etc. that shouldn’t be done after, it should be addressed BEFORE you go in.

If he really thinks his vocation is in marriage, then he should leave, because his heart will not be in his priestly duties. Discernment is not always absolute, people make mistakes and many don’t leave once they start. Years ago, it was a disgrace, but today they are encouraged to leave if they think it was not a true call…but maybe they think they are in a “phase” and it will pass.

 

[CatholicBoy1957]

But was not Our Divine Lord the most perfect man who ever lived? If He was, then did He not choose a married man to be the first priest and the first Pope of the Catholic Church? And were not all of the Apostles, except for John, married? Why do you want to go against what Our Divine Lord did when He was on this earth?

Our Divine Lord was indeed, as you say, the most perfect man, and was not married, unless, of course, you’re a Mormon, then he had plenty of wives. There is a mention in the Gospels of Peter’s mother in law, but no mention of him having regular relations with his wife after being called. In fact, Peter said, “What about us? We left all we had too follow you.”

Quoting from Cardinal Stickler’s book,

To this, Christ responded (Saint Luke): “I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life”.

Here we clearly already have the first obligation of clerical celibacy, namely, the commitment to continence in the use of marriage after ordination. The real meaning of celibacy, which today is in general almost totally forgotten but which in the first millenium and beyond was well known, consists in this: complete abstinence with respect to the procreation of children even within the context of marriage.

amazon.com/Case-Clerical-Celibacy-Development-Theological/dp/0898705339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241724962&sr=8-1#reader

I could just picture Saturday Night Live making a sketch of this, with Peter coming home and being abused by his wife for being gone for months, evangelizing foreign lands, while she’s home alone waiting for sex.

 

[redrosetea]

The frontpage story in the Miami Herald today:

Priest’s confession: I’m in love

Speaking to reporters for the first time since a celibacy scandal broke, the Rev. Alberto Cutie said he is considering marriage and a family​

The “experts” will be out in full force for the next several months, lecturing us on how celibacy doesn’t work. Just like how pre-marital abstinence doesn’t work, during Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. This is a sweet victory for them, let them enjoy it.

When did I hear the “I’m in love” line for the last time? …Oh yeah, when some celebrity broke his vows and left his wife for his mistress…

It is a pity he chose to go public with this…He should have just dissolved into the sunset and kept quiet…He is acting as someone that has lost his regard for the church

 

[redrosetea]

I use to watch Padre Alberto when he would do interviews and even when he had his own show on Spanish televison, but, the moment that I heard him make a comment several years ago concerning homosexuality on a show called Quien tiene la razon? (Who is right?) that went completely against the teachings of the church I told myself that I would never again watch any interview or program associated with this priest.

In the interview he was asked his opinion on homosexuality and he answered (I am paraphrasing) “that science was starting to prove that homosexuality is genetic” By their fruits you shall know them…

I prayed for Padre Alberto but something inside of me knew that it was only a matter of time before he would be involved in a major scandal. I even said this to family members several years ago after he made that comment on homosexuality.

As I was flipping the channels today I accidentally came across an interview with Padre Alberto and I was shocked to see him doing an interview in Spanish for a show called “Aqui y Ahora” (Here and Now) with Maria Elvira (you can see it on youtube but I will NOT post a link to it). I was going to change the channel but out of charity and my belief that with God nothing is impossible and that he would be truly repentant, I watched it and could only stomach a few minutes of it before I changed the channel.

This priest was all smiling throughout the interview and when asked about the woman he was having an affair with he said “what attracted me to her is that she is woman of tremendous faith”. Then when asked if he felt sorry for what he had been doing he said "Did I feel culpable?..did I feel bad?..horrible?..no. Because I believe that I am a man, I never stopped being a man because I put on my cassock. Underneath this cassock are pants. I believe that I have always been a man and am part of the human condition."

I have never in my life felt so much indignation as I do now. And I am filled with righteous anger that this priest is allowed to make such interviews and hurt so many of the faithful through his actions.

Lord have mercy on me for feeling such anger and give me peace because I cannot even pray for this man right now.

How do they get away with doing this sort of stuff on TV? Wasn’t anyone monitoring his programs?

It is really doing swuch damage to our church…I am ashamed for him, because he seems to have lost his own sense of shame

 

[CatholicBoy1957]

Men have entered the priesthood for years for reason that weren’t always based on holiness. Some were gay, some were without reasonable tools for getting a good job, some enticed with the power and privilege of being a priest (back in the 60’s they had 3 priests to a parish sometimes and a maid!) They get a stipend, a home, car, etc.
The difference today is that they are so much more open about it. Something is wrong in the seminary, are they lieing the whole time, are the priests teaching them, giving them the “wink and nod” just wanting a body and secretly agreeing with them? You can tell some have an agenda by how the do they mass and talk to parishoners alone
.
I don’t have hard evidence but I think that diocesin priests have more of this because livng very poor in a community leaves a lot less “wiggle room” That might be why after my “reversion” back to the faith, I was very attracted to orders like the Dominicas near me, Fr. Groechels order and others like them. You can’t run neighborhood parish’s with them, but they have a prayer life that is more devout or maybe more easily kept. I can’t imagine a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal rolling in the sand at the beach with a woman, but they freedom is different and to live that life, you have to be commited and know when you are sinning.

I don’t understand when a Catholic priest leaves the church to become another Christian priest…either you believed in the Eucharist or you didn’t, how can you pretend?

Very well said. How can you pretend? As you mentioned, I think they are lieing. I think this is what I was getting at in one of my previous posts on this thread, referring to Prof. Poltawska’s writing, on the subject of choice. They never made the choice, then they have problems. Did Fr. Cutie make the choice? So why does he feel there should be a married clergy?

I know personally of a priest that sounds like your description. He very rarely speaks about doing God’s will, but brags about how he works only a half hour a day, his meals are SERVED (he loves that word) to him 3 times a day, his laundry, etc… He wishes he had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so he could sleep more every day. I was a close friend of his for a short time, until I realized the extent of his serious moral dilemmas, which include several hours a day on porn web sites.

 

[JPUSC]

I don’t have hard evidence but I think that diocesin priests have more of this because livng very poor in a community leaves a lot less “wiggle room” That might be why after my “reversion” back to the faith, I was very attracted to orders like the Dominicas near me, Fr. Groechels order and others like them. You can’t run neighborhood parish’s with them, but they have a prayer life that is more devout or maybe more easily kept. I can’t imagine a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal rolling in the sand at the beach with a woman, but they freedom is different and to live that life, you have to be commited and know when you are sinning.?

I’ve noticed the same thing.

I was a close friend of his for a short time, until I realized the extent of his serious moral dilemmas, which include several hours a day on porn web sites.

Really?? How did you find out…did he tell you? Strange…

 

[CatholicBoy1957]

I’ve noticed the same thing.

Really?? How did you find out…did he tell you? Strange…

He forced his way into my house past my sister one night while I was suffering the effects of an overdose of anesthesia from outpatient surgery that day. She went back to bed. His computer was having problems, so he downloaded 20 meg in 3 hours on two of my computers. He tried to hide it, but I recovered the evidence a day later. We had quite a discussion about 2 weeks later.

 

[redrosetea]

He forced his way into my house past my sister one night while I was suffering the effects of an overdose of anesthesia from outpatient surgery that day. She went back to bed. His computer was having problems, so he downloaded 20 meg in 3 hours on two of my computers. He tried to hide it, but I recovered the evidence a day later. We had quite a discussion about 2 weeks later.

How long did he fly under the radar? I must be very naive but I don’t understand how they can get away with this

My own pastor had a drinking problem and the bishop wasted no time doing an intervention…He protected Frs feelings and privacy, and also the parish

 

[debraran]

I think a drinking/drug problem is more obvious to others, what someone watches on his/her computer isn’t. I doubt the bishop comes and looks at cookies on the priests computer…it can be a very secret sin, especially with so many livng alone.

I read a book about older men going into the seminary and it was very interesting. One priest who made it through talked of a priest who was his mentor, a very large, gregarious priest that seemed very holy and did a lot of good works. When he died, he found out he was gay and he left (for some reason unknown to this priest) a box in his closet with video tapes of gay men (NOT children) He threw them out, didn’t want it to tarnish all the good he had done, but he kept this secret his whole life. Because of his works and his looks,( not being good looking or what anyone would find attractive in our culture) he was able to fly under the radar and have relationships or feelings and not share them. But keeping the box even when he was ill, might have been part of his conflict, hiding a part of you is always hard.

 

[redrosetea]

I think a drinking/drug problem is more obvious to others, what someone watches on his/her computer isn’t. I doubt the bishop comes and looks at cookies on the priests computer…it can be a very secret sin, especially with so many livng alone.

I read a book about older men going into the seminary and it was very interesting. One priest who made it through talked of a priest who was his mentor, a very large, gregarious priest that seemed very holy and did a lot of good works. When he died, he found out he was gay and he left (for some reason unknown to this priest) a box in his closet with video tapes of gay men (NOT children) He threw them out, didn’t want it to tarnish all the good he had done, but he kept this secret his whole life. Because of his works and his looks,( not being good looking or what anyone would find attractive in our culture) he was able to fly under the radar and have relationships or feelings and not share them. But keeping the box even when he was ill, might have been part of his conflict, hiding a part of you is always hard.

I understand what you are saying but this priest was on TV making these sort of claims…You can’t get much more public than that

 

[JPUSC]

I understand what you are saying but this priest was on TV making these sort of claims…You can’t get much more public than that

I think she’s talking about that other priest looking at porn mentioned a few posts back.