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Former Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland Admits He's Gay
Fox 6 ^ | May 11, 2009

Posted on 03/29/2010 2:17:12 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

A Roman Catholic archbishop who resigned in 2002 over a sex and financial scandal involving a man has written a memoir that describes how he struggled with being gay.

Archbishop Rembert Weakland, former head of the Milwaukee archdiocese, "is up front about his homosexuality in a church that preferred to ignore gays," Publisher's Weekly wrote in a review Monday.

The book, "A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop," is set to be released in June and is described by the publisher as a self-examination by Weakland of his "psychological, spiritual and sexual growth."

The Vatican says that men with "deep-seated" attraction to other men should not be ordained.

Weakland stepped down quickly after Paul Marcoux, a former Marquette University theology student, revealed in May 2002 that he was paid $450,000 to settle a sexual assault claim he made against the archbishop more than two decades earlier. The money came from the archdiocese.

Marcoux went public at the height of anger over the clergy sex abuse crisis, when Catholics and others were demanding that dioceses reveal the extent of molestation by clergy and how much had been confidentially spent to settle claims.

Weakland denied ever assaulting anyone. He apologized for concealing the payment.

In an August 1980 letter that was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Weakland said he was in emotional turmoil over Marcoux and signed the letter, "I love you."

"During the last months, I have come to know how strained I was, tense, pensive, without much joy," Weakland wrote. "I felt like the world's worst hypocrite. So gradually I came back to the importance of celibacy in my life."

The revelations rocked the Milwaukee archdiocese, which Weakland had led since 1977. But when he publicly read a letter of apology for the scandal, Milwaukee parishioners gave him a a standing ovation.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee released a public statement last week alerting local Catholics that the book is soon to be published and that it deals in part with Weakland's relationship with Marcoux and the scandal.

"Some people will be angry about the book, others will support it," the archdiocese said.

Weakland, who has been a hero for liberal Catholics because of his work on social justice and other issues, will also address in the memoirs his failures to stop abusive priests.

In a videotaped deposition released last November, Weakland admitted returning guilty priests to active ministry without alerting parishioners or police.

Advocates for abuse victims said that Weakland's cover up of his own sexual activity was part of a pattern of secrecy that included concealing the criminal behavior of child molesters.

The archbishop did not respond Monday to an e-mail request for comment. Weakland, a Benedictine, plans to move to St. Mary's Abbey in Morristown, N.J., this summer.

U.S. Catholics have long debated whether the priesthood had become a predominantly gay vocation. Estimates vary from 25 percent to 50 percent, according to a review of research on the issue by the Rev. Donald Cozzens, author of "The Changing Face of the Priesthood."

Cozzens, a former seminary rector, said in an interview that Weakland's acknowledgment of his sexual orientation "cuts into the denial that relatively few priests or bishops are gay."

But Russell Shaw, a former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, questioned whether the book would have much impact.

"That one controversial archbishop acknowledges what everybody's known for several years," Shaw said, "I don't think that's going to make any big difference."


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: catholic; fagpriests; homosexualpriests; potstirrer; repost; retread; sin
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To: tiki

two wrongs don’t make a right


121 posted on 03/29/2010 3:23:27 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: Ann Archy

Ann...the scandal is now...if your Pope is under the care of the Lord...and I suspect you believe this...then God is big enough to see him thru this and bring him out on the other side...that does not mean he will come out unscathed...battles are like that...everyone takes a hit...For what ever reason NOW, at this time, God has sought fit that this be known and the Pope is the one chosen equally at this time to endure the investigation. We are promised never to be given more than we can handle with the Lord....that goes for the Pope as well.


122 posted on 03/29/2010 3:24:01 PM PDT by caww
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To: D-fendr

marriage is supposed to be most about sex is it not? Even Paul wrote letters in the NT about it.

And your interpretation of sexual intimacy in a marriage isn’t so simple as you seem to want to make it to be


123 posted on 03/29/2010 3:26:47 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: tiki

Good post.

and the Catholic bashing goes on.

I am tempted to post the non-Catholic statistics and then close with STFU.

so much for Christians...if you’re aren’t the right brand, look out...That is more damaging than the aethiest or secularists or Muslims could do to Catholics.


124 posted on 03/29/2010 3:26:59 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (Ok, joke's over....Bring back Bush !)
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To: stop_fascism

>> I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make any sense. It seems you have a need to blame the Catholic church. I’m sorry they closed your school and everything, but come on, get over it. <<

When the Church Closed the school smething happened not unlike the Tea Parties staretd last year in our community, we awoke to the fact the people in power were not looking out for the parish’s interests but their own even if that path was one off a cliff like a bunch of lemmings. 1/2 the church went to other towns to go to catholic church there to avoid the priest and the adminstration. Some corssing state lines and driving 30-40 miles to a different diocese. It has a special place in my heart because it was a microcosim of what is happening right now with the “awakening” that is occuring nationwide today.


125 posted on 03/29/2010 3:28:32 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: GraceG
Well, YES!

Thanks!

126 posted on 03/29/2010 3:28:40 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (ECOMCON)
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To: Ann Archy

hate to burst your bubble but this scandal has been ongoing since about 1930


127 posted on 03/29/2010 3:29:59 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: D-fendr

I apparently understand celibacy better than do many Catholic priests who either mistook their commitment, underestimated their urges, or overestimated their strength. I understand celibacy well enough to know that I have not been granted that particular gift.

Celibacy is a rare and admirable gift for the few that are granted it. But, that all clergy must be celibate is a fabrication of the Catholic church.

SnakeDoc


128 posted on 03/29/2010 3:30:48 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor ("The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant ... that even a god-king can bleed." - 300)
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To: sabe@q.com

With Fr. Murphy?


129 posted on 03/29/2010 3:31:02 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion,,,,,,the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: GraceG

The pope goes into Holy Week and Good Friday much as Jesus Christ - spat upon, slandered, lied about, accused of blasphemy.

How much deeper his faith must be becoming as he gets to carry the Cross of Christ on such a celebrated anniversary.

Would you pray for him? Would you pray for His(Jesus’) Church?

Satan is always swirling all about the Church for he knows to crack a priest is to send scandal and satisfaction to all feigned dis-believers and to break the weak Catholics from the fold, as the media and the ignorant commenters are doing.

Naturally, priests will be tempted moreso than the general population, which is why the stronger are called - and that evens out to what the general population experiences in terms of fallen instances.

So many Christians should convert to Osama’s form of Islam, where unforgiveness and mercy killing is more in agreement with their actual practiced faith.


130 posted on 03/29/2010 3:32:44 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: caww

Here is a good article about what the Holy Father has done.

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/03/scoundrel-times


131 posted on 03/29/2010 3:32:56 PM PDT by stop_fascism
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To: SnakeDoctor
I'm sure you're right, statistically. There's also the fact that there is no Biblical basis for a celibate clergy. Some think the Catholic Church adopted it to compete with (or under the influence of) the Cathars, a medieval heretic sect whose elite (the Perfecti) were celibate.

Incidentally, most Protestant missionaries in the 19th cent. were required to be married. Churches did not want to send single young men among "natives" (many scantily clad), knowing that disgrace to their cause would likely result.

132 posted on 03/29/2010 3:35:03 PM PDT by hellbender
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To: SnakeDoctor

>> I apparently understand celibacy better than do many Catholic priests who either mistook their commitment, underestimated their urges, or overestimated their strength. I understand celibacy well enough to know that I have not been granted that particular gift.

Celibacy is a rare and admirable gift for the few that are granted it. But, that all clergy must be celibate is a fabrication of the Catholic church.

SnakeDoc <<

So let me ask you a Hypothetical Mr. SnakeDoc.

If you were going to be Catholic Priest, would you take a drug that would kill or reduce your sex drive to make it easier for you to keep your covenant with the church on celibacy. Or would really really cold showers be enough for you?

Just wondering what a guy’s take on this is.


133 posted on 03/29/2010 3:35:08 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: Ann Archy

just google it... the truth is out there if you really want to find it


134 posted on 03/29/2010 3:35:51 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: If You Want It Fixed - Fix It

I pray for the Pope because I beleive he is a good celibate man. I fear of for him because of the vipers who have nested themselves in Rome in Cardinal Clothing.

God don’t need to save the queen, he needs to save the pope first. :)


135 posted on 03/29/2010 3:37:56 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: GraceG

None of the Above. I’m a Baptist. If I were called to lead a church ... I’d have married the same lovely and gracious woman that I am currently married to. Celibacy is not among my options ... so your question might be better directed elsewhere.

SnakeDoc


136 posted on 03/29/2010 3:38:53 PM PDT by SnakeDoctor ("The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant ... that even a god-king can bleed." - 300)
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To: MinorityRepublican

If a company posted a position description on a job website:

“Must vow not to ever have sex with women”

...and got a lot of applications from gay men, I would not be surprised.

How long has this been going on?


137 posted on 03/29/2010 3:40:42 PM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: stop_fascism

all i would like is for le to called when abuse is suspected just that but it seems that one small thingy is just not possible for the catholic church to ask of its clergy


138 posted on 03/29/2010 3:41:20 PM PDT by marajade (Yes, I'm a SW freak!)
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To: GraceG

Catholics are Christian


139 posted on 03/29/2010 3:41:20 PM PDT by AzaleaCity5691
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To: SnakeDoctor

Celibacy is not a gift! You apparently don’t know ANYTHING about celibacy!

Celibacy is not given TO YOU, you rather give it TO GOD, out of LOVE, total LOVE for Him.....JUST like you give your sexuality to your WIFE until you die. Priests MARRY the Church. Nuns MARRY Jesus Christ.

It’s hard - why would God want something easy from you like a knitted sweater? He wants the best from you! If you can’t give it, you must not love Him enough. You are to give that to him, in Chastity as well, until marriage, and then be chaste in marriage and in priesthood alike forever.

An unmarried father will hit on his daughter’s older girlfriends - so marriage keeps that from happening, hence the married father can better raise/counsel his daughter as he’s not trying to use her to get close to the girlfriends. Priestly celibacy does the same. But we are given free will by God, so He wont stop us from offending Him of we choose to reject Him.

Ask any priest worth a quarter of his ordination - chastity and celibacy is not the hardest part of the Cross he carries for Christ, it’s not the big deal that unmarried folks think it is, that short-term married folks think it is, that little faith people think it is.


140 posted on 03/29/2010 3:41:57 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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