Bishop: Cutie Fling Could Have Been Worse

(CBS)  The bishop who welcomed Father Alberto Cutie into the Episcopalian Church is defending the celebrity, now-former Roman Catholic priest widely known as "Father Oprah" and "Padre Oprah."

Cutié, a handsome, charismatic TV talk show host, radio personality, newspaper columnist and author was caught in photos and on video kissing a woman. The Catholic church relieved him of his duties and took him off the air and, on Thursday, Cutie formally became an Episcopalian.

The photos almost single-handedly reignited the debate over the celibacy required of priests by the Catholic Church and that church's refusal to allow priests to marry. Episcopal clergy are allowed to marry.

Earlier this month, in an exclusive interview with Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, Cutie revealed that a longtime friendship with the woman he was spotted with became romantic about two years ago, and added that they're in love.

Conceding he'd become "kind of a poster boy" for the debate over priests being celibate, Cutié said priestly celibacy is good, but should be optional. Overall, he said he's "deeply sorry" about all that had happened. "I don't want to be the anti-celibacy priest," Cutie said at the time. "I think that's unfortunate."

On The Early Show Friday, Rodriguez, whose family in Miami has been close to Cutie for years, spoke with Bishop Leo Frade, the head of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. He officiated at the ceremony Thursday at which Cuite and the woman who's now his fiancée converted.

Rodriguez said, "I know Father Cutie believes, because he said it on this program, that what he did was wrong. He broke an oath and he lived a lie for two years. Are you concerned at all about the message that you're sending your parishioners by inviting someone like that into your church?"

"Well," Frade responded, "for a single person, kissing and loving another single woman, I think that a scandal would have been if he would have been -- if she would have been a married woman or something like that. But Father Cutie is a single person, loving another single person, and when you have to obey your heart, indeed, the teaching that he could tell our people is that love is able to conquer everything."

Asked why he welcomed Cutie into his church, Frade explained, "We have been talking to him as friends. We've known each other from the year 2000. We are both Cubans, and dealing in ecumenical and also trying to bring a peaceful change in Cuba. And he became more and more interested in our church, and showed that interest, and with time, about two years, it has been a long search for him, because he did not want to leave the Catholic faith. Actually, he traded his collar, his Roman Catholic collar for another different Catholic collar, which is the Anglican, the Episcopal collar."

At a news conference Thursday, Cutie said, "I have searched my soul and sought after God's guidance for a long time. I have spoken to friends in and outside the Episcopal church about their service to God. I have seen the ways that many of my brothers serve God as married men. ... I would never hurt anyone deliberately especially my family, my friends and the church community. I will always love and hold dear the Roman Catholic Church."

CBS News Analyst Father Thomas Williams told Rodriguez he's "really hopeful that Father Cutie has made this decision to become Episcopalian because he really believes it's a true church and not because of some other motive. That's my one hope. And the fact that he's been speaking with Bishop Frade for years actually gives me hope that that might be the case, that he really believes that what he's doing is the right thing."

But the leader of the Miami archdiocese accused Cutie Thursday of abandoning his church and his flock. "Father Cutie's actions have caused great scandal within the Catholic Church," said Archbishop John Favalora. "and led to division within the ecumenical community and the community at large. Today's announcement only deepens that wound."

[dovestar]

Your story says that Father Cutie had become romantically involved with a woman from his church, and he had been, "living a lie". Had Cutie refrained from becoming involved with her, despite his true feelings for her, would he be living a lie too?

[MissUSA2009]

I lost respect to this priest. First, he violated his vow of celibacy not only recently but within the last two years. He kept quiet about his relationship. He may not have an intention to raise this to his superiors until it made public. Remember in his interview he said that he thought that the beach was isolated and that he thought no one can see them. Second, he decides to leave the Catholic Church without talking or consulting with his superiors. Do you have any respect to your superiors? Do you have respect to the people around you? It shows how selfish this priest is. He only wants what?s best for him. He doesn?t know what self sacrifice is. His actions clearly show that he is a hypocrite. Father Cutie, what if you felt after months or years that the Episcopal Church is not best for you, will you just hastily leave this Church and move to another one? What if you feel like you don?t love the woman after several years, will you just hastily leave her?

[axel3599]

Well, I don't think loving a single woman is such a bad thing for a single man. Even if he is a priest in the Catholic Church. Come on, at least he wasn't molesting little boys, which is wrong in the fact that they are harming a child, not being celebit and they are practicing homosexuality. Now, I'm not a homophobe, but in christianity, it is taught that God DETESTS homosexuality. Oh yeah, the child molesting priest are also not submitting to the earthly authorities as we are commanded by God to do. 0-4 for those sick Catholic priest that are doing that.

[msegers]

Archbishop says that this action wounds the ecumenical community. How about when the Roman Catholic church began accepting married Episcopal priests as RC priests? (That also must have demoralized the long-term celibate priests.)

[edward1975-2009]

Hey, at least he wasn't molesting little boys, which the Church seems to have no problem with. What a joke Rome has become. How hypocritical can you get. Just another shining moment for organized religion as a whole.

[lbr1027]

Let us try not to judge. No matter what your religion is, the "most powerful" or "God", would not like us to be judging another human being. Even if he was supposed to set the "example" and follow certain rules and laws set up by "humans". Please remember he is "human" too. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, WE ARE HUMAN!!! Sometimes it is easier to say things like-'He should have left the church before doing this" or "Just come out with the truth"-than to put ourselves in his shoes and TRY to understand what it must be like to be struggle with following his job or heart. WHO ARE WE TO DECIDE IF HE DID WRONG OR NOT?

[armyoftwelve]

tmbf57 Your post is right on!

It's one thing to fall in love after VOLUNTARILY taking a vow of celibacy.
It's another to sneak behind your bishop's back...
It's a whole other thing to break communion with ALL OF US....even people in Miami who supported him after the photos were published.
If you read the Miami Herald, he seems to have considered joining the baptist and lutherans before settling in the English church. He is obviouly not the person everyone thought he was. Not honset enough and WAY too sneaky!

[armyoftwelve]

You better believe they would take his money if he were to offer it for tithe, but he's still going to hell...
Posted by nmast2383 at 2:26 PM : May 29, 2009

1. Catholic's RARELY tithe...
2. There is no general condemnation of homosexuals-therefore no teaching that the uncle is automatically going to hell...
3. Church teaching demands that homosexuals do not engage in sodomy.
4. You really DON'T have a BLEEPING CLUE!

[armyoftwelve]

but the "money men" within the business organization that is the Vatican are truly evil...
Posted by inventagod at 4:16 PM : May 29, 2009

SHADDAP!

[valentin73]

Forget Hypocrisy, Catholic Priests are NOT supposed to be involved in romantic affairs!
be it a boy, woman, or man. That is not me saying this. that is the Vatican as per Biblical Ruling, dadadadada..................................................Shame on him.
There once was a young Mexican Priest (from Mexico, not Mex-Am citizen, duh?) who discovered he actually had human romantic tendencies and became involved with a woman.............He personally left the priesthood. Now, that's honesty I can live with.