The Vatican has fired a priest who came out as gay and who acknowledged that he has a boyfriend. Meanwhile, another priest was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment after allegedly pointing a gun at an eight-year-old boy -- but he has kept his job.
The gay priest's firing came to light the day before Pope Francis is due to convene a major three-week Vatican meeting on family issues, with hundreds of bishops from around the world participating.
Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa had worked at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2003, but was removed from that post following his public acknowledgement that he is gay and that he has been in a loving relationship with another man.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was tasked by prior popes with protecting the church from heresy from within its ranks, is better known by its historical name, the Inquisition. This is the very same office that oversaw thousands of trials for witchcraft -- among other offenses -- ending with over one thousand people being burned at the stake. The Congregation is also the office that put Galileo Galilei on trial for heresy.
The same day Charasma was fired, New Jersey Catholic priest Kevin Carter was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment after allegedly pointing a gun at an eight-year-old boy. The incident is reported to have happened because the child is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the priest is an ardent fan of the New York Giants. Upon being released, Carter stated that his actions were only "good-natured jesting" over the two teams' rivalry.
Carter thus far has not lost his job.
| Home |
