10 May 2009

Kiss And Ordain.

A popular Roman Catholic Priest in Miami gets caught in a bit of a cuddle last week. Since sex was involved, you just knew The Episcopal Church (tm) would get into the fray, and they have:
Meanwhile, the spiritual leader and head of the Episcopal church in South Florida tells CBS4 he believes that popular Catholic priest Alberto Cutié will make a decision soon to become an Episcopal priest.

The Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench he's spoken twice with Father Cutié at length since the provocative photos surfaced in TV NOTAS Magazine, showing Cutié kissing and caressing 35-year-old Ruhama Canellis on the beach.

"I think the issue for Father Cutié is one of celibacy," said Bishop Frade. Celibacy is required of Catholic priests. It is not required of Episcopal priests.
In essence, Bishop Frade's position on Father Cutié is, "vows, shmows - we'll take him!"

My dear bishop, the issue here isn't one of celibacy. It is one of character. A vow is a vow, especially if you are a priest and you made that vow to God and the Church. If you don't agree with that vow, don't make it. If you do break that vow, ask for forgiveness and don't do it again. If you find you can't keep that vow anymore, leave.

Note that this is not the first time The Episcopal Church (tm) has seen breaking vows of celibacy or fidelity as irrelevant to the character of a priest. Or a bishop.

UPDATE: Welcome CNN readers! Glad you stopped by, so please Have a look round. You may find something you agree with; you may find something that insults you. Or hopefully, both.

3 comments:

beyond fed up said...

It is embarrassing to see Episcopal clergy, especially bishops, being such attention whores. Every one of them seems to be infected with pathological narcissism. Of course a Catholic priest who can't keep his rocket in his pocket is a bad priest...and shouldn't be welcomed into another church.

Why is the Episcopal Church enabling this kind of bad behavior?

Then again, like attracts like. That's why the ECUSA is rapidly becoming little more than Sicko Central.

Anonymous said...

Christianity at the beginning never expected its clergy to be celibate. Wives are honored in the Bible. It is an honor for a priest to marry a good woman. The Catholic Church needs to update its rules, a church I do not believe ever represented that ancient Church of Jesus Christ.

.....CLIFFORD said...

Anonymous, I agree that it is biblically permissible for priests to marry. But just as it is for Anglican/Episcopal priests who do not marry, celibacy for ordained clergy is the rule of the Roman Church. But that is not the issue here. The issue is that Father Cutie made a vow to keep that rule, and didn't. And further, that The Episcopal Church ™ would jump at the chance to take him in as a pastor says volumes about TEC’s current moral standards (or lack thereof).