Church official who came out as gay

Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author, and the most high-profile advocate for LGBTQ Catholics, said, "I think that if you had suddenly all the gay priests in the United States come out, I think the Church would be forced to look at the question of homosexuality in a very different light.

He said he interviewed hundreds of priests, even cardinals: "It's 'Fifty Shades of Gay. He suggests the largest group of men in the Vatican may be gay, but do not practice, and can actually be the most homophobic — and in interviews discovered a real range of sexual identities.

Every day I have to go up there and pretend I'm something I'm not. I experimented. And, Father Martin says, ultimately Catholic leaders need to shift their thinking: "It's a life issue. The setting, with its soaring cathedral ceiling and sacraments, is typical of any Catholic service, but the similarities stopped with this sermon: "Because if there's anything that an LGBTQ person will know, it is that we're going to face opposition," said Father Greg Greiten.

Thirty years after surrendering her ordination for coming out as a lesbian, Rev. Martha Juillerat stood before Heartland Presbytery in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 25, and heard the words she’d waited decades for — an apology and the official restoration of her ministry. And there was love several times.

When asked if he has remained celibate as a priest," Father Frederick replied, "No, I did not. Sixteen years later, I’d grown weary of the church’s reticence and downright opposition to including LGBTQ people in spiritual communities. He calls Pope Francis the first pope to use the word "gay" publicly the most pro-LGBTQ pope ever , though acknowledging that's "not a high bar.

He said his seminary where he trained to be a priest was a "warehouse" of young men struggling with their sexuality. I met with him in the Apostolic Palace, which is where he meets with presidents and diplomats. When asked how many there are, he said, "I've always heard the number thrown out, like, ten of us, that are really out there.

Carol and Fred Webber's son had come out to them years earlier. We have high suicide rates among LGBT youth, and we also have places in the world where gay people can be arrested and executed for being gay. Father Greiten "came out" to his congregation in this Milwaukee suburb about three years ago, at age 51, when he announced, "I am a gay priest, and a celibate priest.

They were encouraged from the top, and the beginning, to keep quiet. We know you're there, but be silent. So, I began having conversations, mostly behind closed doors, and over time, was seen as a sympathizer. It was a pretty strong sign of his support.

The pastor of an Atlanta megachurch with thousands of followers, who was twice married and is a father of four, is speaking out about his recent decision to publicly declare he is gay. Who knows? He found folks in his congregation were overwhelmingly supportive. But Swilley said he's known he was.

He seemed the stereotypical picture of a pastor, with four kids and a wife who doubled as his associate pastor. While Pope Francis famously responded "Who am I to judge" when asked about gay priests during a papal press conference, he has also said that anyone with "deep seated" homosexual tendencies shouldn't be a priest.

And if you are gay and a priest both at the same time, you've gotta hide one or the other. He is one of very few openly gay priests. They sent out a picture. During his interview, "Sunday Morning" hid his identity. Father Greiten said, "The unwritten comment is, 'Don't talk about it.

He pledged, as all priests do, to live a celibate life. For him, this was not about sexual activity, but identity. And for me, Seth, that was part of the hypocrisy that I was watching happen. It's like wearing a mask. There were liaisons, there were relationships.

I struggled. Swilley, 52, founded the church 25 years ago.