Cardinal Keith O'Brien has been told by the Vatican to leave Great Britain amid concerns of causing further damage on the Catholic Church in Scotland because, you know, he was a big anti-gay Cardinal who was schtupping priests in his off hours and the Church don’t like that stuff.
So, exile it is! A new kind of Leper Colony.
O'Brien had planned to retire to a church-owned cottage, but now he is being forced to leave the country. Hate the sin, you know, and banish the sinner. He was given the news that he was being asked to leave the country while he was in the process of moving from his, former, official residence in Edinburgh to a residence in Dunbar where he, the Church hoped, would be out of sight, out of mind.
Now, however, they want him completely out of sight. Out of the country, though not on an island somewhere, with other gay priests would join him. Just be gone.
O’Brien’s banishment is proof that the Vatican is reeling that his admission of a homosexual relationship with another priest, as well as allegations of abuse towards trainee priests, might damage the Church. You know, like the child raping priest scandals have been doing of late.
Still, the Cardinal does have some folks on his side. A recent petition organized by the parishioners of Our Lady of The Waves in Dunbar saw more than 90% of parishioners signing a statement declaring "our support and affection for Cardinal Keith O'Brien".
O’Brien, the former Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, was forced by Pope Quitter, er, Benny to retire after admitting "inappropriate behavior" with four priests and a seminarian. He released this statement:
"I'm just trying to do my best to live a good Christian life myself now. Many people have been helping me to go back on the right path and that's what I have to do. But I haven't always managed to live that in my own life. … If Christianity is about anything at all, it's about forgiveness.”
It’s ironic, though, that the Church, rather than forgive him, wants to send him away and then act as though he never existed. But then, that’s the Catholic Church; hiding away it’s secrets rather than deal with them.
Think of what the Catholic Church might be able to do if they welcomed gay priests, and allowed priests, straight and gay, to marry, and allowed women into the priesthood.
Imagine what the Catholic Church could do if their pulled their heads out their asses and chose to live in the 21st century.
They wouldn’t need to exile anyone, ever again.
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