The existence of gay clergy in
the Roman Catholic,
Anglican and other traditions is a matter of
historical record. Homosexual activity was engaged in secretly. When it was
made public, official response ranged from inaction to expulsion from Holy Orders. As far back as the eleventh century, Ralph, Archbishop of Tours
had his lover installed as Bishop
of Orléans and neither Pope Urban 11 nor his successor Paschal
11 took action to depose either
SAINT
AELRED
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| SAINT ALRED |
Aelred
of Rievaulx, a Cistercian monk, was probably a celibate but wrote intensely
ardent love letters to male friends.
SAINTS
SERGIUS AND BACCHUS:
Sergius and Bacchus were officers
in Galerius’ army, and were held high in his favour until they were exposed as
secret Christians. They were then severely punished, with Bacchus dying during
torture, and Sergius eventually beheaded. The close friendship between the two
is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one
of the most famous examples of paired saints.
SAINT
PAULINUS OF NOLA:
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| SAINT PAULINUS |
Saint Paulinus of Nola, bishop and
poet wrote poetic epistles to his lover Ausonius.
POPES WITH MALE LOVERS:
Pope Paul 11 (1464–1471) is
popularly thought to have died due to indigestion arising from eating melon to
excess though he in fact died while committing sodomy.
Pope Sixtus 1V (1471–1484) was alleged
to have awarded gifts and benefices to court favourites in return for sexual
favours. Giovanni Sclafenato was created a cardinal by Sixtus for
"ingenuousness, loyalty and his other gifts of soul and body",
according to the papal epitaph on his tomb.
Pope Leo X1513–1521) was allegedly a
practising homosexual, according to some modern and contemporary sources
(Francesco Guicciardini and Paolo Giovio). He was alleged to have had a
particular (albeit one-sided) infatuation for Marcantonio Flaminio.
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| MARCANTONIO |
Several modern historians have concluded
that Leo was gay. Contemporary tracts and accounts, including those of two of
the leading papal historians of the time shared a belief that Leo engaged in
"unnatural vice". Francesco Guicciardini wrote, "At
the beginning of his pontificate most people deemed him very chaste; however,
he was afterwards discovered to be exceedingly devoted – and every day with
less and less shame – to that kind of pleasure that for honour's sake may not
be named". Bishop and writer, Paolo Giovio, also explained that Leo
seemed to have "an improper love for some of his
chamberlains". There were suggestions that Count Ludovico Rangone and
Galeotto Malatesta were among Leo's lovers, and there were numerous pasquinades posted
around Rome's statues to that effect.
Cesare Falconi has examined in
particular Leo's infatuation with the seventeen-year old Venetian noble
Marcantinio Flaminio, with Leo arranging the best education that could be
offered for the time. However, suspicions of Leo's motives seem to have led to
the direct intervention of Marcantonio's father, who took the unusual step for
the time of refusing the career in the church that Leo had mapped out for the
son and instead demanded a return to Bologna. Pope Julius 111 (1550–1555) was
alleged to have had a long affair with Inncenzo Ciocchi del Monte. The Venetian
ambassador at that time reported that Innocenzo shared the pope's bed
CARDINAL NEWMAN AND FATHER AMBROSE
SAINT JOHN
John Henry Newman, a renowned scholar-priest and Britain’s most famous
19th-century convert to Catholicism, was beatified in 2010 amid rampant
speculation that he was a gay saint because of his relationship with Ambrose
St. John. The two priests lived together for 32 years and share the same grave.
Newman’s feast day is today (Oct. 9) in the Catholic church.
Some say they shared a “romantic friendship” or “communitarian life.” It seems
likely that both men had a homosexual orientation while abstaining from sex.
Newman described St. John as “my earthly light.” The men were
inseparable.
Newman recalled their early years in this way: “From
the first he loved me with an intensity of love, which was unaccountable. At
Rome 28 years ago he was always so working for and relieving me of all trouble,
that being young and Saxon-looking, the Romans called him my Angel
Guardian.”
St. John, a scholar and linguist in his own right, helped Newman with his
scholarship and shared other aspects of daily life as if they were a couple in
a same-sex marriage. John Cornwell, author of NEWMANS UNQUIES told National Public Radio that St. John’s support
for Newman included “even doing things like packing his bags before he went
away, making sure he was taking his medicine, making sure he kept dental
appointments, that sort of thing. So it was almost like a wife, but without
sharing a bed.
Newman was heartbroken by the loss of his beloved partner. “I have always
thought no bereavement was equal to that of a husband’s or wife’s, but I feel
it difficult to believe that anyone’s sorrow can be greater than mine” that anyone’s
sorrow can be greater than mine,.
He insisted three different times that he be buried in the same grave with St.
John: “I wish, with all my heart, to be buried in Father Ambrose St. John’s
grave -- and I give this as my last, my imperative will,” he wrote, later
adding: “This I confirm and insist on. Newman died of pneumonia on Aug. 11,
1890 at age 89. According to his express wishes, he was buried with St. John.
The shroud over his coffin bore his personal coat of arms with the Latin motto,
“Heart speaks to heart), which he adopted when he became cardinal. Their joint
memorial stone is inscribed with a Latin motto chosen by Newman: ”Out of the
shadows and reflections into the truth.” During the beatification process, the
Vatican tried to violate Newman’s desire to be buried with his beloved
companion. Controversy arose as some saw the decision to disturb the shared
grave as an attempt to separate them and cover up the queer side of Newman’s
life. Vatican officials hoped to excavate and move his remains in preparation
for his beatification. However when the grave was opened in 2008, the remains
had completely decomposed, leaving nothing that could be separated.
BISHOP THOMAS GUMBLETON USA:
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, the retired Catholic bishop in the
Diocese of Detroit, has consistently been a supporter of New Ways Ministry and
has also called for homosexual priests and bishops to "come out" and be truthful to
themselves and others Gumbleton has also acted as a keynote speaker at Call To
Action conferences. In 1995 he wore a mitre at a church service on
which were symbols of the cross, a rainbow and a pink triangle in solidarity
with the gay community.
CARDINAL FRANCIS SPELLMAN - USA:
Francis Spellman, the Cardinal
Archbishop of New York (died 1967) was gay. A book published in 1998
claims that during World War 11 Spellman was carrying on a relationship
with a chorus boy in the Broadway revue ONE TOUCH OF VENUS.
ARCHBISHOP REMBERT WEAKLAND - USA:
Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, Wisconsin retired on May 24, 2002 following the revelation that he had used
$450,000 in archdiocesan funds to settle a lawsuit accusing him of sexual
harassment. In 2009 he confirmed that he was gay.
BISHOP REGINALD CAWCUTT – SOUTH AFRICA:
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| BISHOP CAWCUTT |
The auxiliary Roman Catholic
Bishop of Cape Town, South Africa, resigned in July 2002 following allegations that he
outed himself as gay on a sometimes-sexually charged website set up for gay
priests. I met Bishop Cawcutt last September in Cape Town.
CARDINAL GROER IN AUSTRIA:
In 2003, Cardinal Hans Herman Groer was
removed from office by John Paul II for alleged sexual misconduct with younger
men who were students in his care.
BISHOP JUAN CARLOS IN ARGENTINA:
In 2005, Juan Carlos, of Argentina
was forced to resign after images were released of him engaged in sexual
activity with another man.
BISHOP DA SILVIRA IN URUGUAY:
Francisco Domingo Barbosa Da
Silveira, the Bishop of Minas in Uruguay was forced to
resign in July 2009, following a gay sex scandal in which he had faced extortion.
ARCHBISHOP JOHN CHARLES MC QUAID
OF DUBLIN (1895-1973):
I knew Archbishop McQuaid
personally and believe that he was of the homosexual orientation – but there is
no truly reliable evidence to date that he was sexually active.
IRISH CATHOLIC BISHOPS:
There are strong rumours among the Irish clergy concerning two Irish Catholic bishops who are or have been
sexually active homosexuals.
THE ENGLISH BISHOPS:
Reputable London journalists have
told me of English Catholic bishops who have been or are sexually active
homosexuals and those journalists are conducting on-going investigations
CARDINAL KEITH O’BRIEN:
Most recently in February 2013,
Cardinal Keith O’Brien (leader of the Catholic church in Scotland) was forced
to resign as archbishop three months ahead of planned retirement because of
allegations of inappropriate acts with four priests.
POPE PAUL V1:
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| POPE PAUL V1 |
Pope Paul V1 was reportedly sexually active as a gay man.
THE ROMAN CURIA:
In the past week Pope Francis has
expressed concerns about a “gay lobby” in the Vatican. Other clergy in Rome
have spoken to me of an aggressive gay faction in the Vatican and in church
colleges and institutions in Rome.
