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Prominent Canadian Priest Claims He's 'Gay', Blasts Vatican on Canadian National Radio
LifeSite ^ | December 6, 2005 | John-Henry Westen

Posted on 12/06/2005 9:26:00 AM PST by NYer

TORONTO, December 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rev. Richard Renshaw, C.S.C., former Assistant Secretary General of the Canadian Religious Conference (1994-2002), exposed himself as a homosexual and supportive of the 'gay culture' on CBC radio on Sunday.  Renshaw made the revelations on CBC's The Sunday Edition hosted by anti-Catholic host Michael Enright who is known for his unrepentant 'joke' referencing the Catholic Church as "the greatest criminal organization outside of the Mafia."

Canadian Catholics who have wondered at the constant unorthodox stands of the Bishops' official development arm - the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) - will not be surprised to learn that Fr. Renshaw served as Deputy Executive Director at CCODP from November 2002 till he became the Interim Executive Director there in May last year - a post he held till this spring.

The latest Vatican document restating the Church's position against the ordination of men who "are actively homosexual, have deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called gay culture" was apparently too much for Renshaw who not only revealed himself as "gay" on the program, but also admitted to preaching in favour of the 'gay culture'. (see coverage on new Vatican document http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112903.html ) Referring to the new document, Renshaw said, "There is a way in which this touches me very directly."  He continued, "I clearly supported gay causes for quite some time . . . There's no way I can deny I've done that very publicly . . .  I've spoken at gay pride, preached in churches about gay pride, I support the issues."

Renshaw, one of the founders of KAIROS, the Canadian ecumenical coalition on social justice and international solidarity, slammed the official Church teaching that homosexuality is an "objective disorder".  This teaching, he said, and the new Vatican directive, are examples of "how the church humiliates and shames people."  He also noted that his theological formation, which he said he received in Rome, "has never been of the slightest use to me".

"I feel there's some kind of a phobia in church leadership at the highest level," said Renshaw.  Enright pressed him to say "homophobia" and that it was "at the highest level, the Holy Father himself?" but after a pause, Renshaw merely responded, "at the highest levels."

Living in Montreal, Renshaw oddly says that although he is not permitted to say Mass publicly and hear confessions, he is nonetheless "not censured, not suspended, I'm a religious in good standing."

Renshaw said that in his 40 years of hearing confessions he didn't think anyone had told him a sin.  In the interview he also questioned if homosexuality itself was sinful.

Exposing his bias, Enright said with fervour, "You're doing what I take it the founding father of the Christian religion said you should do . . . What the hell difference does it make, your sexual orientation?!"

Renshaw is the second Canadian Catholic priest in recent months to expose his homosexuality in the broadcast media.  LifeSiteNews.com reported that in October, Vision TV, a television network heavily supported by Canada's National Catholic Broadcasting Corporation, featured a Catholic priest. Fr. Karl Clemens, who claimed to be the first in the country to "come out" as homosexual on television. (see the coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05102402.html )

Hear the audio of the CBC interview with Fr. Renshaw:
http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/media/renshaw_s...

To express concerns to CBC ombudsman:
E-mail:
ombudsman@cbc.ca

Mail:
Office of the Ombudsman
CBC
P.O. Box 500, Station A
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6
Fax: 416/205-2825
Tel.: 416/205-2978

To Montreal Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte
-phone (514)931-7311; fax (514) 931-3432  email: chancellerie@diocesemontreal.org

See also
Vatican 'Gay' Priest Ban Forcing Dissidents Out of the Closet
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05112307.html




TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Current Events; General Discusssion; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: gay; homosexual; homosexualagenda; homosexualpriests; papalzot; priesthood; priests; vatican
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Rev. Richard Renshaw, C.S.C.
1 posted on 12/06/2005 9:26:01 AM PST by NYer
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To: american colleen; Lady In Blue; Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; ...

They're 'outing' themselves.


2 posted on 12/06/2005 9:26:38 AM PST by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: DirtyHarryY2K

Ping!


3 posted on 12/06/2005 9:28:24 AM PST by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: NYer

This is turning out better than expected.


4 posted on 12/06/2005 9:28:57 AM PST by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: NYer
Renshaw, one of the founders of KAIROS, the Canadian ecumenical coalition on social justice and international solidarity, slammed the official Church teaching that homosexuality is an "objective disorder".

He's welcome to take his heresy elsewhere. I'd advise a better alternative, though: he should abjure his heresy, and become an actual, practising Catholic.

5 posted on 12/06/2005 9:30:07 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: NYer

What's with this 'Gay' and 'Priesthood'?

What attracts homos to this job?

I am perplexed.


6 posted on 12/06/2005 9:31:07 AM PST by The_Republican
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To: NYer
"What the hell difference does it make, your sexual orientation?!"

Clueless. The man is an unrepentant sinner. That matters.

7 posted on 12/06/2005 9:31:35 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: NYer
Renshaw said that in his 40 years of hearing confessions he didn't think anyone had told him a sin.

WTF????? Does he think anything is sinful?

8 posted on 12/06/2005 9:32:55 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: NYer
Exhibit A as to why this change in policy was necessary.

Oh, and the church doesn't shame people with the truth. They shame themselves with their own sin and rebellion against God's moral law.

9 posted on 12/06/2005 9:35:41 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; He is holy. Ps 99:5)
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To: The_Republican

A secure career with a decent income and probably expense accounts, privacy to engage in homosexual acts, and parents not asking why they don't 'find a good Catholic girl'; not to mention access to boys.


10 posted on 12/06/2005 9:37:06 AM PST by connectthedots
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To: NYer
Living in Montreal, Renshaw oddly says that although he is not permitted to say Mass publicly and hear confessions, he is nonetheless "not censured, not suspended, I'm a religious in good standing."

He's deprived of his priestly faculties and jurisdiction and laicized and he's "not censured, not suspended"?

That's like a cop who has had his badge and sidearm taken away and who has been put on indefinite leave from the department saying that he's "not censured, not suspended."

I note that he has no canonical job of any kind.

11 posted on 12/06/2005 9:39:18 AM PST by wideawake
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To: NYer
Renshaw said that in his 40 years of hearing confessions he didn't think anyone had told him a sin.

Renshaw, always the quirky kidder, would usually send his confessors on their way by uttering the words, "I'm gay, you're okay. Get outta here!"

12 posted on 12/06/2005 9:39:57 AM PST by snarks_when_bored
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To: NYer

Darn, does this mean that the Canadian public radio has settled their strike? I liked it better when they just played music and read the straight news reports.


13 posted on 12/06/2005 9:41:22 AM PST by Eva
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To: The_Republican
What attracts homos to this job?

The company of other men?

14 posted on 12/06/2005 9:42:36 AM PST by NYer (“Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion")
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To: NYer

Correction: Oh, and the church doesn't shame people with the truth. The people shame themselves with their own sin and rebellion against God's moral law.


15 posted on 12/06/2005 9:43:26 AM PST by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; He is holy. Ps 99:5)
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To: ArrogantBustard; NYer

He'd fit right in with the majority of episcopagan "priests" and "priestesses". Most of them don't think anything is a sin either, except if one is a conservative Chistian that believes in the Holy Trinity, the Bible, that Jesus is true God and true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, etc.; to say nothing if said conservative Christian also does not go along with the New Age, PC agenda, and doesn't think that all the world's troubles are caused by the traditional Christianity, the USA and Israel, etc.


16 posted on 12/06/2005 9:44:30 AM PST by Convert from ECUSA (Not a nickel, not a dime, stop sending my tax money to Hamastine!)
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To: NYer

Vickie Gene is.... skipping down the aisles he's so excited.

Buh-bye Mr. Renshaw.


17 posted on 12/06/2005 9:45:16 AM PST by Jaded (The truth shall set you free, but lying to yourself turns you French.)
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To: The_Republican
Some factors:

(1) No need ever to explain to your devout parents why you're not married.

(2) Priests are given a large amount of personal autonomy and a free house, perhaps also a free car. Nowadays they generally live alone and they make their own hours 6 days a week. A person can up to all sorts of trouble if he is somewhat discreet.

(3) Because of the autonomy, they can be extremely lazy. Being a Catholic priest is the most demanding and time-intensive job in the world if one is a very good and conscientious priest. But if one wants to foist off all administrative responsibilities to secretaries and lay volunteers, one can get by with only 3-4 hours of work a week.

(4) being a priest still commands a certain amount of prestige and respect. One's ego can be stroked as a local community leader without accomplishing anything.

18 posted on 12/06/2005 9:47:41 AM PST by wideawake
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To: NYer

He ought to take his act down to the Episcopal Chuch where he can "minister" to Jim McGreevey.


19 posted on 12/06/2005 9:47:42 AM PST by Sociopathocracy (Real men know the significance of the following numbers: 383, 426 and 440.)
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To: NYer
host Michael Enright who is known for his unrepentant 'joke' referencing the Catholic Church as "the greatest criminal organization outside of the Mafia."

Tell that to Mother Theresa, jackass.

20 posted on 12/06/2005 10:01:03 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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