The Vatican on Saturday fired a mid-level official in its doctrine office who came out as gay on the eve of a major meeting (synod) of bishops from around the world to discuss family issues including outreach to “gays, divorcees, and more traditional Catholic families.”
Via newspaper interviews in Poland and Italy, Krzysztof Charamsa, 43, talked openly about what it’s like being a gay priest, indicating he has found personal reconciliation between his identity as a gay man and his church’s teachings, and that he has a boyfriend.
Charamsa first planned to hold a news conference at the Vatican, with his boyfriend, Edouard, but relocated it to Rome following his termination.
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“The decision to make such a pointed statement on the eve of the opening of the synod appears very serious and irresponsible, since it aims to subject the synod assembly to undue media pressure,” the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said in a statement.
“I have to say who I am. I am a gay priest. I am a happy and proud gay priest,” Charamsa told the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza.
For the time being, he remains a priest despite his firing. Lombardi hinted that could change if Charamsa’s superiors decide to take further action, which wouldn’t be surprising since Charamsa also broke the vow of celibacy every Roman Catholic priest must take.
“I came out. This is a very personal, difficult, and tough decision in the Catholic Church’s homophobic world,” Charamsa added, along with this message for other gay Catholics:
“Do not apologize for what you are, because you’re full members of the community, and in the case of the baptized, of the Church. [You’re part of a] civilized community, and the Church doesn’t have the moral right to deny your right to love and get married.”
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He also appealed to all gay Catholics “persecuted by the Church” to stand up “for their dignity and right to happiness.”
There were signs reported at last year’s synod of a more open stance on gay Catholics, and Pope Francis has “insisted the issue be included for future debate,” according to Crux.
The Church’s official teaching is that gay sex is “intrinsically immoral,” but the Vatican did note that the details of Charisma’s personal life “merit respect.”
Xzamilio
Yeah… this time, I don’t have a problem with this for the sole reason that he broke his vow of celibacy, something that they all take, so the end result would have been the same had he had a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend. The “celibacy” nonsense if fucked up and takes away such a vital aspect of the human experience, that being sex, and makes it into some arbitrary notion of “purity for Christ”. I’m glad he “reconciled” his sexuality with his faith, because his faith sure as hell hasn’t done the same for him or other LGBT people.
Don’t care who this offends, but it’s baffling to me that anyone in this day and age, especially gay people, would cling to this iron/bronze age nonsense when it continues to vilify and exclude them as human beings.
Luis H. Lopez
Surprised ? I am not ! Nothing has changed wake up gays time to protest!
Billy Budd
He is actually good looking and so is his boyfriend. The other priests must be dying with jealousy.
NJjoe
Such hypocrites the Catholic church is. Born a Catholic but will NOT die one. It does not surprise me they would fire a man of the cloth for honesty, yet hide and play checkers with their pedophile priests. Religions are F’d up period. If you want to believe in God, do it within your heart not within the walls especially of the Catholic church. The use of the “Family” is such b.s. I know what family is and it is not what their vocabulary describes.
gbmnchas
Now we know what happens to conscientious objection in the Vatican government.
There is no tolerance.
Creig Stearne
Christians, they just keep spreading love, oh I meant hate.
Curty
Fuck the church and its hypocrisy. All those who harbor and turning a blind eye to the child sex abuse should be in jail including the pope! They have no validation anymore just fucking blond sheep who are brainwashed.
ingyaom
If a straight priest had come out with a girlfriend, he would have been fired, too, so I would say the catholic church is equal-opportunity on this issue.
Curty
The pope should not be allowed to visit america due to the church not doing enough to cooperate and turn in child predators. There needs to be a worldwide protest. Its not about who will be fired. Its about who is going to jail! I’m so sick of a lot of the media also turning a blind eye to these group of pedophiles! Sickening!
Curty
@ingyaom: That’s besides the point. There are openly child molesters in the church, illegal actions and nothing happens but legal same sex activity which is legal in Italy and american and many other countries and states gets fired. Its hypocrisy and sickening to the greatest degree.
Blackceo
Pretty sure the bigger issue here is that a priest is in an intimate relationship, period. If he had been exposed as being with a woman he would’ve been fired as well.
Creamsicle
Let’s be real though,, he has a point about doing away with priest celebacy. It wasn’t a core part of the church to begin with. It was instituted in order to keep wealth within the church and so that no children of priests would claim an inheritance that would dissolve the Catholic church’s resources.
Now that the church simply employs priests rather than having them run all aspects of a church like a business there is little reason to continue with the practice of celebacy. The only objection people have is because they see it as a sacred commitment, which is just a reframing of the policy’s original intent.
Vows of celebacy could still be taken optionally, but Mada ting celebacy is an antiquated practice.
Will L
No sympathy from me either. He broke his vow of celibacy. Has nothing to do with being day. If he’s playing the gay card for support, he has failed. And I’m not even Catholic.
Hussain-TheCanadian
I can’t believe the Catholic Church still forces celibacy on its priests and Nuns; if people choose to be celibate then that’s their choice, but I don’t understand for the life of me the celibacy vow unless it is truly associated with wealth control – I think its cruel.
o.codone
Queerty really focuses on the Catholic church, smearing the institution at every step. Do you write about the Presbyterians or the Jews? No. Just anti-catholic rhetoric. And it’s boring. Let it go gentlemen, it’s really boring. Nobody cares.
aliengod
Of course they fired him. He deserved to be fired. He broke his vow of celibacy then announced it in an attempt to embarrass the Catholic Church. What an idiot!
Bisexual-Transwoman
He was fired not for being gay but for having a partner and not being celibate.
sportsguy1983
He was no fired for being gay. He was fired for being in a relationship. Catholic Priests(straight or gay) are not allowed to be in relationships and must be celibate (which includes no masturbation). Queerty’s reliable writers are at it again.
Giancarlo85
And we are certain since he was in a relationship, he was having a sexual relationship? How would you know? Please enlighten us, (non)sportsguy.
Alistair Wiseman
The sexual orientation of priests who adhere faithfully to their vows of celibacy is irrelevant. Celibacy does not just mean the absence of sexual intercourse for Catholic priests. It means the sacrifice of romantic relationships of any kind. Even if this particular relationship remained unconsummated, so to speak, it would violate the priest’s vows; they are not allowed to “date” nor are monks, nuns or even widowed deacons.
The Vatican did not fire the priest for being gay or even publicly acknowledging his orientation.
Bottom line:
Gay priests are not allowed to have boyfriends.
Straight priests are not allowed to have girlfriends.
Lesbian nuns are not allowed to have girlfriends.
Straight nuns are not allowed to have boyfriends.
Equality isn’t a one-way street, it also means you have to play by the same rules as everybody else.
Saint Law
@o.codone: Well, you do obviously – but for all the wrong reasons.
Saint Law
I see: “B-b-b-ut a str8 priest would be fired too if he had a sexual relationship with a womanz!” is the default argument for all the morons today.
Lol at a church that repudiates homosexuality as being unnatural but exalts celibacy!
And while we’re on the subject – what intelligent person would look to a Professional Virgin for guidance on issues of adult sexuality?
Saint Law
@aliengod: Oh look – nine months later and bitch STILL aint got a life.
Giancarlo85
@Alistair Wiseman: Equality isn’t a one street? Wrong. It is. You either have equality or you don’t. The world you live in is about selling out to the right wing. You have any more stupid thoughts you want to share?
@Saint Law: These guys can’t even prove the relationship was sexual.
jayj150
I despise the Catholic Church, but this guy is a clown. Why would you want to be part of a Church that is openly bigoted against you?. I’ll never understand men who claim to be proudly gay and proudly catholic, that’s an oxymoron. But if you absolutely want to be a Catholic priest, for whatever reason, then follow their damn rules(including celibacy), don’t expect them to change them to adapt you. This is a private organization(yes, a hateful, hypocritical, corrupted one, but private nonetheless) and it has the right to establish its norms, this is NOT the government and don’t need accommodate everyone.
jayj150
@Giancarlo85: It’s irrelevant whether the relationship is sexual or not; priests are not allowed to have “boyfriends” or “girlfriends”, period. It’s a stupid, archaic, ridiculous rule: but he was aware of it before becoming a priest.
DCFarmboy
Great timing, Krzysztof — making this announcement just as your book is going to press. Well, I guess your boyfriend wasn’t going to support you if all you brought in was a priest’s salary. The book sales should help.
Brian JC Kneeland
The punishments aren’t over – his own bishop will decide what to do about him having a partner of 17 years! I suggest that he will be told to let him go or leave the priesthood!
Dion Daly-Susino
Believe me he is NOT the only gay one.
Michael Clifford
I’ll never understand why one’s sexual orientation is such a big deal to a cult of men who are SUPPOSED to be abstinent.
dean77
@Curty: John Gimino
Hey media,
Those (so called) Catholics who condone sodomy are not Catholics -period. The teachings of the church are from God on that matter and cannot and will NOT be changed because they can’t. The truth cannot be changed!! Christ who IS God promised our first pope Peter, that the gates of hell will not prevail against my church! It’s the priest and people who believe in sodomy have moved away from God and need to repent and get right with Him. BTW, the church HAS addressed the pedafile issue of priests NOT remaining true to their vows.
dean77
John Gimino
Those (so called) Catholics who condone sodomy are not Catholics -period. The teachings of the church are from God on that matter and cannot and will NOT be changed because they can’t. The truth cannot be changed!! Christ who IS God promised our first pope Peter, that the gates of hell will not prevail against my church! It’s the priest and people who believe in sodomy have moved away from God and need to repent and get right with Him. Joy and peace comes to those who try and live in His truth.
Peace!
aliengod
@Saint Law: Huh?
LibraOracle
We need to eliminate religions as the bring nothing but fear and chaos to humanity,whoever created this psychological weapon is still ruining lives for centuries till today