Archbishop Expresses Support for Priest Who Came Out as Gay
Archbishop Jerome Listecki
A Wisconsin archbishop has expressed support for a priest in his archdiocese who came out as gay this past weekend.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee said in a statement that Fr. Gregory Greiten sharing his coming out story “reminds each of us of God’s call to continue to grow in understanding and to live holy, chaste lives.” The archbishop said further in a statement, reported by USA Today:
“We support Father Greiten in his own, personal journey and telling his story of coming to understand and live with his sexual orientation. As the Church teaches, those with same-sex attraction must be treated with understanding and compassion. As priests who have made a promise to celibacy, we know that every week there are people in our pews who struggle with the question of homosexuality.”
Greiten had a meeting with Listecki prior to his coming out in a homily and in an essay in the National Catholic Reporter, according to an archdiocesan spokesperson. Parishioners were overwhelmingly supportive of Greiten on Sunday, giving him a standing ovation after he came out during Mass. Fr. James Martin, SJ, expressed his support for the priest on Facebook. You can read Bondings 2.0’s coverage of his coming out here. [Editor’s note: More about this story will be posted in the coming week.]
For priests, coming out as gay can be risky. Though Catholics in the pews are overwhelmingly supportive when priests do come out, there are still risks involved. Few church leaders encourage gay priests to be public about their sexual orientation. In some cases, priests who come out can be punished. For example, Warren Hall, a gay priest from the Archdiocese of Newark, was suspended from ministry after coming out and has since left the priesthood.
Listecki’s support is significant because it helps pacify concerns that Greiten might be disciplined for his decision.
When Fr. Michael Shanahan, a Chicago archdiocese priest came out in 2016, Cardinal Blase Cupich made a statement in support of him, too. Similarly, Fr. Steve Wolf, a Nashville diocese priest, reported that his bishop was very supportive of him when he came out as gay.
More church leaders voicing their support for gay priests would allow more priests to come out, a healthy and life-giving decision for them and for the Church. Unfortunately, such public support is unlikely to appear soon. As of today, the Vatican’s formal policy for seminaries bars gay men from entering the priesthood.
Theologian Lisa Fullam has suggested gay priests instead have their own “Stonewall Moment” by refusing to remain closeted any longer. Former priest Krzysztof Charamsa did just that when he came out with his partner before the 2014 Synod on the Family and was quickly suspended. He has similarly called for a Stonewall in the church.
It seems true that change will only happen when gay priests start coming out in greater numbers. The situation in Milwaukee and the other cases mentioned above show that coming out need not be an antagonistic moment, and that the bishop, in caring for the diocese’s priests, could be in conversation and even support gay priests.
—Robert Shine, New Ways Ministry, December 20, 2017
A wonderful Archbishop, and a wonderful article. This man understands “Pastoral Care” in a deep way that too many of his fellow bishops utterly fail to comprehend. I continue to believe that mandatory enforced (or at least purportedly enforced) celibacy for Catholic priests and bishops is the deep root of a festering problem. Celibacy may be a particular gift or vocation for some clerics — but it is very clearly NOT suitable for all members of the clergy. It leaves them frustrated and cranky and (in many if not most cases) emotionally dysfunctional. In my heart of hearts, I believe that Pope Francis himself “gets it”, and would very much like to provide for a marriage option to be made available to Catholic priests. We already have a small number of married Catholic priests who came into Church service after prior careers as Anglican or Episcopal priests. So there’s no theological barrier to a married Catholic priesthood. I think Pope Francis is afraid to move because of the fierce opposition he anticipates — especially from a generation of forcibly celibate (and dare I say emotionally cranky) older priests.
What a much-needed breath of fresh air! I suppose it takes time; but the Spirit of Christ lives on in the souls of loving people!❤️
Just as in the “real world”, individual acts of courage within the “hallowed halls” allow the sanctity and beauty of our homosexual orientation to emerge… Making us better, more authentic preachers and teachers and providing visible support within the Church for our gay brothers and sisters. Coming out is simply embracing truth.
My life partner sometimes comes with me, as I minister with our Deaf Catholics every Sunday. Some are also gay. They see our love. They see my authentic joy with his faithful companionship. No, we don’t “push the gay agenda” as some have accused, but, by simply being unafraid (out) we demonstrate the Christian agenda: Love is love is love is love is God.
It Is refreshing that the archbishop supports the priest’s maturity in coming out of the closet. Unfortunately, the archbishop seems to have guarded his support by throwing in “As the Church teaches, those with same-sex attraction must be treated with understanding and compassion.” In other words, he is saying “This defective heterosexual is making progress in becoming what God intended him to be – namely, heterosexual. ”