Citing anti-gay stance, outspoken priest quits

[buffalo]

Let’s see if the MSM reports on this.

Citing anti-gay stance, outspoken priest quits

LILLY — Even after a priest sexually abused him when he was in high school, John Nesbella of Lilly came back to the church.

And when Nesbella became a priest, and his strong stance against homosexuality in the priesthood drew venomous mail from his colleagues, he kept the faith.

But now, at age 43 and after being banned for the past year from publicly performing any priestly duties, the outspoken and controversial Cambria County priest is taking off his collar.

John Nesbella has resigned from the priesthood.

“This is the end of a sad tale of how wicked so-called Catholic priests and bishops drove me and a few other priests out because we dared to speak up about the corrupt brotherhood of homosexuals in the priesthood,” he said.

Officials at the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese declined to comment on Nesbella’s resignation.

“It’s a personal decision,” diocese spokesman Rob Egan would only say.

more…

 

[gam197]

A man is abused by the church and later gets ordained as a priest and now they say his is too conservative. Got a phone number or email address. I like to call, email or write a letter to Father and let him know I’m sorry about what happened.

 

[all4jmj]

I’m a bit puzzled about this. I read the complete article written by Susan Evans and it stated that after entering the seminary he found it full of gay men. Being shocked by that, I don’t know why he would have continued his formation as a priest with all he had experienced.
The article also stated after becoming a priest he filed a lawsuit against the church concerning the priest who had abused him as a child. Why would a priest file a suit against the church? The church is the body of Christ, how does one validate that ?
Jesus taught us to forgive those who hurt us.
The article also stated this priest “quit” the priesthood. Once you’re ordained you can’t be kicked out, yes you can be de-frocked but that doesn’t mean you’re out on your ear. I don’t understand the whole thing about him being kicked out because he spoke out, then he quit??
He joined the priesthood AFTER he had been sexually abused by a priest???
Once he decided to become a priest he found the seminary full of gay men???
He continued his formation knowing the problem of gay priest in the church and decided to become ordained anyway???
Once he was a priest he decided to file a lawsuit???
Could it be there’s more to this than meets the eye???

Yes, I wanted to be the last to believe it…but there is a huge problem with church leaders who have covered up problems with abuse in the church and it still continues to this day. I believe the “Holy Mother Church” is going through a cleansing, as it should…the “Bride of Christ” must come forth clean and pure. These priest are in the hands of the Blessed Mother, we need to pray for priest and we don’t do that enough. They are under great temptations from all sides because they are priests.
The story about this priest doesn’t fit, now he talks about joining the eastern church???
A person can’t run from his enemies, but to face them. If you love the church or hate the church, if you’re Catholic, you stay because that’s what Christ calls us to do. Nothing changes when you bail, he should have remained a priest and saught a place where he could really do the work of God. Perhaps he needed the time off to prepare his lawsuit…

 

[GloriaPatri4]

all4jmj:

The story about this priest doesn’t fit, now he talks about joining the eastern church???
A person can’t run from his enemies, but to face them. If you love the church or hate the church, if you’re Catholic, you stay because that’s what Christ calls us to do. Nothing changes when you bail, he should have remained a priest and saught a place where he could really do the work of God. Perhaps he needed the time off to prepare his lawsuit…

Maybe he’s referring to the Byzantine Rite.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

**

From article

**“This is the end of a sad tale of how wicked so-called Catholic priests and bishops drove me and a few other priests out because we dared to speak up about the corrupt brotherhood of homosexuals in the priesthood,” he said."

**“The underlying problem is that bishops disobeyed the church, and seminaries became filled with homosexual men. Now these men are in their 60s and are church leaders,” he said.

**“They have brought ruin and chaos to the church.” ****
**Pray for our priests

**

 

[wabrams]

all4jmj:

I’m a bit puzzled about this. I read the complete article written by Susan Evans and it stated that after entering the seminary he found it full of gay men. Being shocked by that, I don’t know why he would have continued his formation as a priest with all he had experienced.

Pure speculation, but perhaps the best way to initiate change is from within.

all4jmj:

The article also stated after becoming a priest he filed a lawsuit against the church concerning the priest who had abused him as a child. Why would a priest file a suit against the church? The church is the body of Christ, how does one validate that ?
Jesus taught us to forgive those who hurt us.

But that doesn’t mean they should go unpunished.

all4jmj:

The article also stated this priest “quit” the priesthood. Once you’re ordained you can’t be kicked out, yes you can be de-frocked but that doesn’t mean you’re out on your ear. I don’t understand the whole thing about him being kicked out because he spoke out, then he quit??

You got me there.

all4jmj:

He joined the priesthood AFTER he had been sexually abused by a priest???

Sounds like he blamed the priest, not the Church itself; at least he didn’t blame the Church until the cover-up came out.

all4jmj:

Once he decided to become a priest he found the seminary full of gay men???
He continued his formation knowing the problem of gay priest in the church and decided to become ordained anyway???

Sounds like he was following God’s will.

all4jmj:

Once he was a priest he decided to file a lawsuit???
Could it be there’s more to this than meets the eye???

Yes, I wanted to be the last to believe it…but there is a huge problem with church leaders who have covered up problems with abuse in the church and it still continues to this day. I believe the “Holy Mother Church” is going through a cleansing, as it should…the “Bride of Christ” must come forth clean and pure. These priest are in the hands of the Blessed Mother, we need to pray for priest and we don’t do that enough. They are under great temptations from all sides because they are priests.
The story about this priest doesn’t fit, now he talks about joining the eastern church???
A person can’t run from his enemies, but to face them. If you love the church or hate the church, if you’re Catholic, you stay because that’s what Christ calls us to do. Nothing changes when you bail, he should have remained a priest and saught a place where he could really do the work of God. Perhaps he needed the time off to prepare his lawsuit…

I find in curious you question his leaving the Church but also question him becoming a priest in the first place. I’m I not understanding what you’re saying?

 

[mark_a]

Let’s see if the MSM reports on this.

Citing anti-gay stance, outspoken priest quits

LILLY — Even after a priest sexually abused him when he was in high school, John Nesbella of Lilly came back to the church.

And when Nesbella became a priest, and his strong stance against homosexuality in the priesthood drew venomous mail from his colleagues, he kept the faith.

But now, at age 43 and after being banned for the past year from publicly performing any priestly duties, the outspoken and controversial Cambria County priest is taking off his collar.

John Nesbella has resigned from the priesthood.

“This is the end of a sad tale of how wicked so-called Catholic priests and bishops drove me and a few other priests out because we dared to speak up about the corrupt brotherhood of homosexuals in the priesthood,” he said.

Officials at the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese declined to comment on Nesbella’s resignation.

“It’s a personal decision,” diocese spokesman Rob Egan would only say.

more…

So is the problem gay priests or cover-ups by ordained possibly gay men?

I happen to know of an instance where a man left a seminary because it was full of gay men. That was 50- 60 years ago.

So do these seminarians sit around and discuss their homosexuality? Or do most of them have gay mannerisms that bug straight men or what?

 

[Jeffrey]

Probably the fact that you aren’t supposed to be gay. That’d be my guess.

So is the problem gay priests or cover-ups by ordained possibly gay men?

I happen to know of an instance where a man left a seminary because it was full of gay men. That was 50- 60 years ago.

So do these seminarians sit around and discuss their homosexuality? Or do most of them have gay mannerisms that bug straight men or what?

 

[Other_Eric]

Goodbye, good men!

 

[contemplative]

I’m a bit puzzled about this. I read the complete article written by Susan Evans and it stated that after entering the seminary he found it full of gay men. Being shocked by that, I don’t know why he would have continued his formation as a priest with all he had experienced.

Don’t be puzzled. Some of the Faithful will and do pursue anything to find the Truth…no matter what the cost. I do. I think that this priest is simply looking for Truth. He’ll never find purity and truth in humanity.

 

[Saint_Michael]

I don’t doubt there are gay men in the priesthood as I’ve seen a few myself, and the “pedophile priest” cases were more often than not gay priests having sex with young men cases (14+) I think it’s because they are easily manipulated but that’s another topic altogether.

But if the problem is so widespread and the majority of the leaders of the Church are gay men destroying the Church from the inside, wouldn’t we see the Church gravitating towards more liberal to sexuality and homosexuality in general? I haven’t seen that at all, I’ve seen the opposite myself.

Maybe the way the priest in this case went about speaking up was more the problem to his higher ups?

 

[catsrus]

Nesbells might have tried a transfer to our Diocese here in Phoenix. Our Bishop, Thomas Olmstead, is a most orthodox and active man who prays Saturday mornings at abortion mills.
This past Sunday, our Priest preached on the wrong mindedness of both abortion and so-called same sex marriage. And he pulled no punches! I was praising him and God throughout the homily.
I am so grateful to belong to my Parish where the truth and sacraments are preached, especially after hearing so many horror stories and once belonging, myself, to a Parish that preached women priests and held a gay & lesbian group meeting each week. (yes, it is called “gay and lesbian fellowship meeting”)

 

[mark_a]

Probably the fact that you aren’t supposed to be gay. That’d be my guess.

I think I misused the word “gay”. What I meant was men with homosexual inclinations/tendancies/desires. These things do not necessarily exclude one from the priesthood. . . . .or do they?

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Seems there are some authority and obedience issues here.

This man may be eyeing the Eastern Catholic Churches but I highly doubt any Eastern bishop will accept him if he tries for a ritual Church change, that is if his Latin bishop is willing to let him go.

For a formal ritual Church change the person must write a letter to their current bishop asking for release and to their (hoped for) new bishop to accept them. If either say no then it does not happen.

Also, he could not be a priest in the Eastern Catholic Church unless his current bishop allows a transfer. This could be done in the Latin Church, just changing which diocese one is under but I have never heard of a Latin priest changing Churches. They may become bi-ritual, but that usually requires some more education at the seminary.

Seems he was suspended from acting as a priest publicly when he filed the lawsuit. It has nothing to do with his “anti-gay stance”. Why did he wait until the alleged abuser was dead to file the lawsuit?

 

[TimOliv]

Such a shame. He should just join a more conservative order.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Such a shame. He should just join a more conservative order.

Again, this would require the approval of his bishop, that is his bishop would have to release him.

I highly doubt that an order would take this man.

The only thing that might be avalible to him is to join one of the Orthodox Churches but I am not sure that even they would accept him as a priest.

 

[TimOliv]

Again, this would require the approval of his bishop, that is his bishop would have to release him.

I highly doubt that an order would take this man.

The only thing that might be avalible to him is to join one of the Orthodox Churches but I am not sure that even they would accept him as a priest.

I don’t see what would bar him from joining an order more in line with his thinking. As for his Bishop, I have observed that a Bishop would generally prefer to release a priest (thereby moving him from the Bishop’s jurisdiction) then to have to forward the case to the Vatican so they can laicize him.

I don’t see anything about him which would make some Catholic order not want him, however.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I don’t see what would bar him from joining an order more in line with his thinking. As for his Bishop, I have observed that a Bishop would generally prefer to release a priest (thereby moving him from the Bishop’s jurisdiction) then to have to forward the case to the Vatican so they can laicize him.

I don’t see anything about him which would make some Catholic order not want him, however.

I do see things that would make some orders question taking him in. But again, it all falls on the bishop as well as this priest. It seems he is more interested in “speaking out” than trying to have the bishop release him to some other diocese or community.

 

[jimmy]

When I went to Penn State(They are under that Altoona/Johnstown bishop) I heard about the bishop of that area and he did not seem to be exactly a great bishop.

 

[John28]

“This is the end of a sad tale of how wicked so-called Catholic priests and bishops drove me and a few other priests out because we dared to speak up about the corrupt brotherhood of homosexuals in the priesthood,” he said.

I think a lack of clear direction from the Church following Vatican II caused members to read it’s findings however they wanted. Certainly there was an extreme liberalization of rules and attitudes that can be traced to that time. As a child in the 70’s, the Church I grew up in was not the same one my father grew up in. I feel a reversal now, however, as the people I talk to seek a more traditional Church, this will be furthered as more liberal leaders retire. Unfortunately the ramifications of past decisions and attitudes will affect us into the future, as was the case in this story.