Milwaukee's Catholic archbishop denounces spiritual retreat for gay priests

Annysa Johnson | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Plans to offer a spiritual retreat for gay Catholic priests in Racine has drawn the ire of Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, who told parishioners in a letter this month that the program is "not in line with Catholic Church teaching" and "in no way connected to or endorsed by the archdiocese."

Listecki was unavailable to elaborate on his objections, which followed similar criticisms on conservative Catholic websites in recent weeks.

But organizers and participants of the annual retreat say those comments were unfounded and reflect the church's hostility toward gay and lesbian people, even as Pope Francis calls for greater understanding and compassion.

"Getting lost in this whole discussion is that this is a spiritual event. It's a group of people gathering to pray," said the Rev. Bryan Massingale, a Milwaukee priest and Fordham University theologian who agreed to lead the retreat for Maryland-based New Ways Ministry.

"I have to say, I'm surprised and sad that a group of priests who want to pray has become a major controversy. And I think that speaks to the level of hostility and lack of compassion that LGBT persons still face ... in our society."

The fourth annual retreat, this year titled "Living in Truth: The Call to Authenticity," is scheduled for Oct. 2-4 at the Siena Retreat Center operated by the Racine Dominicans, a Catholic women's religious order on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is aimed at gay priests, deacons and brothers and is expected to draw at least 25 people from around the country.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, said there is nothing in the retreat that is contrary to Catholic teaching, including the church's requirement that priests remain celibate, whether they are gay or straight.

"The priests who come to our retreats are priests who are earnestly living their ... promise of celibacy," said DeBernardo. "They come to find better ways of doing that, to seek support and to seek friendships with other gay men who are in similar situations."

That was true for the Rev. Greg Greiten of St. Bernadette Parish in Milwaukee, who received a standing ovation when he came out to parishioners in December. He attended last year's retreat in November, also at the Siena Center, calling it "a wonderful experience."

"We prayed together, reflected together and just shared our lives with each other," said Greiten, who found last year's theme — "Following Jesus in Holy Honesty" — especially poignant in his own process of coming out.

"Over the years, I've experienced lots of toxic shaming and secrecy. And sharing my truth has truly been an experience of holy honesty," he said. "The church ... calls us to grow in holiness, and I found that to be the experience of last year's retreat."

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to natural law.” It is not considered a sin in the church to be gay. But it has struggled with how to minister to gay and lesbian people, including its own clergy, many of whom are gay.

Just how many is not known, and estimates from surveys and sociologists have swung widely, from 15% to 60%.

Because many priests remain closeted, "there are no authentic role models of healthy, well-balanced, gay, celibate priests to be an example for those, young and old, who are struggling to come to terms with their sexual orientation," Greiten wrote in an essay last year in the National Catholic Reporter.

The issue of celibacy — how it is addressed at the retreat — and even the term "gay priests" appear to be among Listecki's concerns, based on his letter and a link he shared to an essay by the Rev. Nathan Reesman, who leads the archdiocese's Courage/Encourage ministry for people with "unwanted same-sex attractions."

Listecki issued a statement supporting Greiten when he came out to his parish last year. But he told a radio interviewer days later that he wished the priest had kept his sexuality private, saying it could sow confusion among Catholics who might think he's "actively involved in gay sexual activity."

Even the term "gay priest" suggests the cleric sees his same-sex attraction as a defining trait and "allows them to live a lifestyle that normalizes same-sex relationships," whether on an emotional or physical level, according to Reesman.

Reesman also takes issue with the timing of the retreat as the church continues to grapple with a sexual abuse crisis that reached the highest ranks of its episcopacy.

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"Once more we are living through the horror of frequent headlines about the deviant behaviors by male clergy with younger men or boys," he said.

Those sentiments echoed those of Madison Bishop Robert Morlino, who wrote in the wake of the lurid report by a Pennsylvania grand jury this month recounting abuses in that state. "There is a homosexual subculture within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church that is wreaking great devastation in the vineyard of the Lord," Morlino said.

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Such comments reflect the view by some that the church's sex abuse crisis is the result of homosexuality, rather than pedophilia or abuse of power — an assertion Massingale said diminishes the pain of female survivors, contradicts the church's own research and further stigmatizes gay priests.

"The crisis of the church is not one of sexual orientation," Massingale said. "The crisis of the church is one of sexual violations, systematic dishonesty and episcopal malpractice. And blaming gay priests is grossly unfair and a slander, frankly.

"There are many many gay priests who serve this church with integrity, dedication and commitment, and every bishop knows that."