Vatican responds to CDF official’s “coming out” [CNA]

[CNA_News]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/size340/Priest_collar_CNA_10_29_14.jpgVatican City, Oct 3, 2015 / 05:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The director of the Holy See press office has issued a statement in response to Vatican official Msgr. Krzysztof Charamsa’s declaration in a recent interview that he is homosexual and has a boyfriend.

Msgr. Charamsa, 43, granted a video interview to Italian agency Corriere della Sera published on Oct. 3 in which he, speaking in Polish, announced that he is "a homosexual priest, with a partner."

Following the revelation, Fr Federico Lombardi, S.J. issued the following Oct. 3 statement:

"Regarding the statements and interviews released by Msgr. Kryzstof Charamsa must be considered -- notwithstanding the respect warranted to the events and personal situations and reflections -- the choice to make such a clamorous exhibition on the vigil of the Synod's opening seems very serious and irresponsible, since it seeks to impose on the Synodal assembly undue media pressure."

Certainly, he said, "Msgr. Charamsa will not be able to continue performing his previous duties at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Universities, whereas other aspects of his situation are under the competence of his diocesan ordinary."

In the Corriere interview, Msgr. Charamsa said that he made the announcement so that the Church and community would know his true identity. He said he was proud of his orientation and suggested the Church's stance on sexual abstinence for homosexuals and priests is "inhumane," asking for change.

Msgr. Charamsa has served as an official for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Since 2009 he has served on the theology faculty of Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and Regina Apostolorum University. In 2011, he was appointed as secretary of the International Theological Commission

The CDF is responsible for appointing theologians to the International Theological Commission.

On Friday, the day before the Corriere interview was published, a conference was held featuring testimonies by persons with same-sex attraction who are living chaste lives.

Sponsored by Courage, an apostolate which offers pastoral support for men and women with same-sex attraction, participants called for the Synod fathers to defend the Church's teaching on chastity.

The international gathering was entitled [“The Ways of True Love – Pastoral Approaches to Welcome and Accompany those Living with Homosexual Tendencies,”](http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/gay-catholics-tell-synod-to-promote-chastity-for-everyone-65257/) and was held at the Pontifical Thomas Aquinas University, also known as the Angelicum.

The Synod on the Family will be addressing pastoral care in the Church for persons with same-sex attraction. It begins tomorrow, Oct. 4, and will close Oct. 25.

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Full article…

 

[anthony022071]

news.yahoo.com/vatican-fires-gay-priest-eve-synod-111749759.html

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Saturday fired a monsignor who came out as gay on the eve of a big meeting of the world’s bishops to discuss church outreach to gays, divorcees and more traditional Catholic families.

Monsignor Kryzstof Charamsa was a mid-level official in the Vatican’s doctrine office. In newspaper interviews published in Italy and Poland on Saturday, Charamsa said he was happy and proud to be a gay priest, and was in love with a man whom he identified as his boyfriend.

 

[TCEL]

And the fur continues to fly…

 

[_Abyssinia]

Disturbing and disconcerting. Did the Vatican only hear of this yesterday? If so, it’s a good thing they acted swiftly.

 

[anthony022071]

Disturbing and disconcerting. Did the Vatican only hear of this yesterday? If so, it’s a good thing they acted swiftly.

Part of what’s disturbing is that Vatican officials are more upset that the monsignor made the announcement than the fact that he is homosexual.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Part of what’s disturbing is that Vatican officials are more upset that the monsignor made the announcement than the fact that he is homosexual.

Why do you think that? They are probably annoyed that it wasn’t dealt with as privately as possible but that doesn’t mean they aren’t also concerned about the fact that he has a boyfriend etc.

 

[Scottgun]

Why do you think that? They are probably annoyed that it wasn’t dealt with as privately as possible but that doesn’t mean they aren’t also concerned about the fact that he has a boyfriend etc.

And the fact that he has been lying the whole time by pretending to be faithful to God’s truths about human sexuality. Wake up people. Satan is using Christian goodwill and tolerance as a weapon against us. We ought to still uphold goodwill and compassion, but that doesn’t mean being a sucker.

 

[shockerfan]

Part of what’s disturbing is that Vatican officials are more upset that the monsignor made the announcement than the fact that he is homosexual.

I would imagine that the announcement is more significant because we know all people are sinners…priests included. However, when a priest publicly announces they are in a relationship that by its very nature will keep him in a state of sin, and by the announcement causes scandal and might lead others to sin, it must be dealt with.

A priest falling into sin and being contrite and sorrowful is one thing…a priest announcing he’s going to live a life of sin is another

 

[wild_thing]

I would imagine that the announcement is more significant because we know all people are sinners…priests included. However, when a priest publicly announces they are in a relationship that by its very nature will keep him in a state of sin, and by the announcement causes scandal and might lead others to sin, it must be dealt with.

A priest falling into sin and being contrite and sorrowful is one thing…a priest announcing he’s going to live a life of sin is another

 

[anthony022071]

Why do you think that? They are probably annoyed that it wasn’t dealt with as privately as possible but that doesn’t mean they aren’t also concerned about the fact that he has a boyfriend etc.

Fr. Lombardi just said the statement was very serious and irresponsible since it aims to subject the synod to media pressure, not that sodomy is a grave sin and an abomination or that homosexuals should not be in the priesthood. He makes it seem like homosexual priests can be tolerated so long as they don’t cause public scandal. And in fact, that is what has been going on.

 

[pepipop]

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3258644/Polish-priest-outs-gay-partner-immediately-SACKED-Vatican-officials.html

*Father Krzystof Charamsa urged church to change its ‘backwards’ attitude
He revealed he is gay and has a partner in two separate interviews today
The Vatican insists his dismissal has nothing to do with his homosexuality
It said, however, that his timing put undue media pressure on tomorrow’s synod of bishops, due to discuss homosexuality

The Vatican has come under fire after dismissing a high-ranking Polish priest on the same day he revealed that he was gay.
Father Krzystof Charamsa, who held a post in the Vatican’s branch for protecting Catholic dogma, urged the Catholic church to change its ‘backwards’ attitude to homosexuality.
The 43-year-old revealed that he also had a Spanish partner, in two separate interviews with an Italian newspaper and a Polish news programme.*

 

[outremer]

They would have sacked him if he had a girlfriend. Priest is a priest, no matter their sexual orientation

 

[Scottgun]

They would have sacked him if he had a girlfriend.

Perhaps. But then it is hard to imagine a priest calling a press conference and announcing “I have a girlfriend! The girlfriendophobic Church must change Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Natural Law, and plain ol’ common sense to accommodate me!” Most would admit they can’t live up to the standards, do the honorable thing, offer their resignation, and politely slink off into obscurity.

But here we are not merely talking about an orientation. We are talking about a tawdry secular identity ideology that is utterly incompatible with and seeks to destroy God’s truths about human sexuality. They can’t be destroyed of course, but many souls can be swayed into committing spiritual and intellectual suicide.

 

[lax16]

Part of what’s disturbing is that Vatican officials are more upset that the monsignor made the announcement than the fact that he is homosexual.

How do you know that? They acted swiftly, therefore all of the details may have not yet been revealed.

We also do not know what was said behind closed doors.

 

[gilliam]

Part of what’s disturbing is that Vatican officials are more upset that the monsignor made the announcement than the fact that he is homosexual.

That he is homosexual is not the issue. That he is sinning and breaking his vow of celibacy in such a public manner is.

 

[Scottgun]

total abstinence from a life of love

Balderdash. Men should love other men. But love has nothing to do with inherently immoral sex acts.

 

[gilliam]

I wonder if some in the Vatican knew this priest was having a long-term, romantic relationship with a man, but said nothing?

Probably

If that is the case, might that mean they supported him in his actions?
.

Not necessarily. They may have been supporting him and trying to help him sort out if he wanted to be a priest or Catholic in the long term.

It is not unusual is cases like this that the priest is removed from public ministry until things get sorted out in his mind.

Usually everyone hopes and prays for a good outcome in cases like this. Remember the goal here is not to make good headlines in the newspapers but the immortal soul of the person.

 

[commenter]

Fr. Lombardi just said the statement was very serious and irresponsible since it aims to subject the synod to media pressure, not that sodomy is a grave sin and an abomination or that homosexuals should not be in the priesthood. He makes it seem like homosexual priests can be tolerated so long as they don’t cause public scandal. And in fact, that is what has been going on.

There is an important distinction among these 3 issues:

1. A priest who has homosexual inclinations;
2. A priest who is acting out on such inclinations, for instance, having a boyfriend;
3. A priest who publicly defies and opposes Christian faith and practice on sexuality;

Obviously this priest meets all 3 criteria, and should be removed from ministry in the priesthood, and prayed for. (We can’t judge the man himself, he may be less bad than you or I).

But what about priests who only meet criterion #1? I am not aware of any specific requirement that they not practice priestly ministry. My understanding is that bishops and seminaries are much more cautious about this than they were in the 1960s and 1970s, but for men who are already ordained, I assume they would continue on in ministry even if the bishop became aware of their orientation.

Unfortunately in today’s climate any acknowledgement by them of their homosexual orientation would be interpreted in a political way by all sides, and not in a loving way.

 

[gilliam]

But what about priests who only meet criterion #1? I am not aware of any specific requirement that they not practice priestly ministry. My understanding is that bishops and seminaries are much more cautious about this than they were in the 1960s and 1970s, but for men who are already ordained, I assume they would continue on in ministry even if the bishop became aware of their orientation.

As long as they are celibate this would be true.

 

[St_Francis]

Maybe the fact that he not only is homosexual but also “has a partner” has something to do with why this priest, who vowed to be celibate, was fired.