Catholic Priest Alberto Cutié | 05/11/2009 10:30 am
Florida Priest Admits Sex With Woman in Photos (Video)
CBS
The trials and tribulations continue for Catholic Priest Alberto Cutié, who was last week caught on a beach with a woman.
Cutié had previously caused a controversy by saying the Vatican should ease up on celibacy rules, but in an interview with CBS’ Early Show, the apologetic, telegenic priest said he doesn’t want to be seen as "anti-celibacy."
"I think it’s a debate that’s going on in our society, and now I’ve become kind of a poster boy for it," said Cutié. "But I don’t want to be that. I believe that celibacy is good, and that it’s a good commitment to God."
Cutié, who had a popular television show and was often referred to as "Padre Oprah," was suspended from his post last week when a tabloid ran photos of him and a lady-friend on the beach. He and the woman have been together for about two years, he explained. Now he says he’s using the time to reconsider his future, one that’s been complicated by matters of the heart. And the fact that he had sex with her.
I entered the seminary 22 years ago. And in 22 years I’ve never had a sexual relationship with anyone. I committed myself fully to my vows. I’ve never been sexually inappropriate with anyone. I’ve never had any type of scandal. This is the only person that I’ve had sexual contact with.
I believe I’ve fallen in love. And I believe that I’ve struggled with that. You know, between my love for God and my love for the church and my love for service. Of course, it’s something that a man should never have to deal with in the sense of his commitment, you know. If I was clear in my commitment, I should have stuck to it 100 percent. And I didn’t.
When asked whether he plans to marry, he simply said he had to pray about it.
Watch below:
- Dear Margo: When Dad/Gramps Just Ain't Interested
- Could Mammograms Fall Victim to Obamacare? by Liz Peek
- Let Down and Felt Up? by E.D. Hill
- Mr. wOw: Falling in Love Again With 'Marlene'
- Caption This!
- Announcing the Winner of Our 'Caption This' Contest
- Interview With an Angel: Anne Rice Catches Up With wOw
- Should Americans with the higher health-risk profile of obesity pay higher premiums for health insurance?
- Breadwinners in Burqas, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
- Liz Smith: Let's Get Educated
- Dear Margo: When Dad/Gramps Just Ain't Interested
- Should Americans with the higher health-risk profile of obesity pay higher premiums for health insurance?
- Let Down and Felt Up? by E.D. Hill
- Announcing the Winner of Our 'Caption This' Contest
- Interview With an Angel: Anne Rice Catches Up With wOw
- Liz Smith: Let's Get Educated
- Could Mammograms Fall Victim to Obamacare? by Liz Peek
- Breadwinners in Burqas, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
- Mr. wOw: Falling in Love Again With 'Marlene'
- Caption This!
- Could Mammograms Fall Victim to Obamacare? by Liz Peek
- Dear Margo: When Dad/Gramps Just Ain't Interested
- Let Down and Felt Up? by E.D. Hill
- Caption This!
- Mr. wOw: Falling in Love Again With 'Marlene'
- Announcing the Winner of Our 'Caption This' Contest
- Should Americans with the higher health-risk profile of obesity pay higher premiums for health insurance?
- Interview With an Angel: Anne Rice Catches Up With wOw
- Liz Smith: Let's Get Educated
- Breadwinners in Burqas, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
wOw Features
Reader Voices
Caption This!
Dear Margo: When Dad/Gramps Just Ain't Interested
19 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
I don’t get it. Why can’t a man love God and a woman? Other holy men do. He knows he was wrong to break his commitment, but why is that commitment necessary to begin with? He says that celibacy is good, but his own behavior contradicts that. Because he was falling in love, that celibacy became a distractor and an inner struggle that went on for years. How can that be good for him or the church? There are probably many priests facing this same dilemna. The Catholic Church’s views on celibacy for priests needs serious reconsideration and review.
His interview is candid and honest.
because the church would not be as rich as it is with assets and property.
with no wife and kids to give his assets and property to, the priests leave everything to the church.
Are we starting to see a trend here folks? Spirituality=Love, beauty, understanding, growth. Religion=contradiction, hate, war, conflict, lies.
At the center of most major religions are pure universal truths….let’s bask in them and leave the other man mad dogmatic regime to the past.
This is a scandal? A grown man engaging in PDA with a grown woman, of which it appears she is consenting. And THIS is a scandal?
This coming from a church that is riddled with true scandals of their priests engaging in sex acts on young boys and attempting to hide their deeds by playing shuffle the priests among this parish and that…..this activity has been condoned for decades. A priest kissing and fondling a little boy, well that is regrettable, but a priest kissing and fondling a woman is disgusting and wrong?
I try not to judge other’s religions but in this instance I can’t help myself. If faithful and true Catholics not just in Florida but throughout the US allow this man to lose his collar because of this….personally I would label your religion a sham and a joke.
Whatever your thoughts are on priests and marriage, the important issue is being totally ignored.
This is a man who took a vow of celibacy. He is breaking that vow. He needs to leave the priesthood. Very simple.
I am not a Catholic, I do not agree with the tennants of that religion. But I believe in honoring vows, especially ones taken in front of God.
I wonder how many of you applauding this guy for breaking his vow to the church would appreciate your husbands breaking the vow of fidelity in your own marriages? Because it’s the SAME THING. It’s breaking a promise made before God.
This priest needs to leave the priesthood immediately. If he wanted to change the Catholic Church’s stance on celibacy, he should have worked within the existing structure, or not taken the vow.