Apr 01, 2007News: EXCLUSIVE: Bishop of Aquila comes out as gay and steps down
By vanrozenheim
(Aquila, Italy) - The Catholic Church in Italy is facing an unexpected crisis just a few days before Easter: Francesco Il Sodomo Catamiti, the Bishop of Aquila chose April 1st to declare his homosexuality. Catamati has stepped down from the church position he held for many years. In a remarkably courageous statement, the 68 year old condemned the Vatican's policy against ordination of homosexuals and had some catty words for the current Church leadership. Catamiti says he no longer wishes to associate himself with a Church which turns against the teaching of that Jesus Christ, who Catamati refers to as "the very first gay icon and pin-up boy." The bishop, who has authored books on social ethics, was considered to be among conservatives in the Church before his coming-out. He would only speak to Gay Republic Daily.
"Christian religion is about love," said Catamiti, "and this is something many of our church members apparently have forgotten." Catamiti also revealed he will leave Aquila and move to Florence where he will live with his younger partner. There, he plans to visit gay clubs and perhaps get something pierced.
This openness about sexuality is uncommon among Catholic priests, and the Church recently reaffirmed its stance against homosexuals as clergy. Critics say the Vatican is hypocritical in its condemnation of homosexuality, as surveys show that more than 50% of Catholic priests are closeted homosexuals themselves, and the rest are totally bi-curious.
Many religious leaders and scholars agree that at the heart of the controversy over whether to ordain gays is a more basic question: Is homosexuality a sin, or just a wonderful, God-given ability to accessorize?
Bishop Catamiti blames the “weakness of the Christian community and the prevalence of power politics” for the advance of the Church’s culture of hypocrisy. The Church, he said, “now bases the selection of candidates so that each one is obedient, without individuality, and the eliminating of those that do not fulfill these conditions. They’re like clones and it’s always 1979.”
"Homosexual priests have served the Church since its ancient beginnings," Catamiti claims, "and the Church should be honest with its servants and not display them as sinners." Catamiti revealed that there are other Catholic Bishops whom he knows to share his views but are afraid to speak out. "The atmosphere of hypocrisy is simply unbearable. Almost everybody in Vatican knows that the Holy Father himself has a fetish for red Prada shoes and used to spend more time than necessary with young Guards, but no one says a word out loud. There is no reason why priests should feel ashamed of their orientation -- there is nothing wrong with them. How can devotion to Jesus interfere with a devotion to handsome young men?"
