This is a strange source for a story like this, but amazing and saddening none the less.
Gawker.com, (Caution: Graphic photos at the link) the gossipy website, reports about the gay super-culture in the Miami archdiocese grown and cultivated by the former Archbishop John Favalora.
The story is based on a report by the Catholic group Christifidelis.
Favalora, who was the most powerful Catholic official in Southern Florida from 1994 until last year, stands accused of cultivating what one group of pissed-off Catholics describes as a corrupt “homosexual superculture” in the 195 churches, schools, missions, seminaries, and universities that constitute the Miami Archdiocese. If their allegations are to be believed, for sixteen years Favalora ran his organization like the don of a lavender mob, rewarding his favorite homosexual sons and forgiving their many indiscretions—rampant sex, hedonism, embezzlement, alcoholism, and the railroading of chaste priests among them—while punishing those with the temerity to complain.
…
Here are just some of the un-Catholic behaviors that “Miami Vice” accuses Favalora of engaging in: He partially owned a company that manufactured Yohimbe, an aphrodisiac beverage marketed to horny club-kids with the promise of “the hands-down best sex of your life.” He allegedly took frequent trips to fabulous Key West with his gay associates. He was over-familiar toward his seminarians. (One ex-employee of the diocese recalls him telling a young seminarian at a gathering to “Come to papa and sit on my lap.”) Favalora’s second- and third-in-command, Monsignor William Hennessey and Monsignor Michael Souckar, are both accused by Christefidelis of being active homosexuals—and if they are, that counts among the least of their difficulties with Catholic orthodoxy
Sad and disgusting, if not entirely surprising.
Miami, while perhaps a most egregious example of the gay culture that ran throughout the Church for a few decades, is certainly not alone. It may very well be another generation or two before this infection is eliminated from the body of Christ.
July 29, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Pat, maybe you should put a warning up that there is at least one gay porn photo accompanying the story. If even some of what they report is true, Favarola should be defrocked along with his accomplices. Somehow, he still has some prestige in the Church.
July 29, 2011 at 11:40 pm
Wish I hadn't clicked that link.
July 30, 2011 at 12:26 am
Don't believe everything you read so quickly.
July 30, 2011 at 1:03 am
Christifidelis, please come to Dallas. We need the house cleaned.
July 30, 2011 at 1:58 am
Absolutely sickening…and makes me infuriated that this is allowed to happen.
July 30, 2011 at 2:18 am
Wait … I thought the Catholic Church hated homosexuals … I'm so confused now….
July 30, 2011 at 3:10 am
More on Archbishop John Favalora: http://www.jesuitnola.org/about/about–10101.htm
July 30, 2011 at 3:41 am
This kind of thing exists in far to many parts of the country. Time to clean house!!!
July 30, 2011 at 3:44 am
I was 'inspired' by a different priest when I wrote this earlier today:
http://remnantofremnant.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-saw-satan-laughing-with-delight.html
very, very sad
July 30, 2011 at 4:29 am
"I thought the Catholic Church hated homosexuals"
you've been reading too much of the MSM
"Homosexual desires, however, are not in themselves sinful. People are subject to a wide variety of sinful desires over which they have little direct control, but these do not become sinful until a person acts upon them, either by acting out the desire or by encouraging the desire and deliberately engaging in fantasies about acting it out. People tempted by homosexual desires, like people tempted by improper heterosexual desires, are not sinning until they act upon those desires in some manner. "
http://www.catholic.com/library/Homosexuality.asp
July 30, 2011 at 5:17 am
This does not sound very probable to me. Sorry (and sorrier if it IS true).
July 30, 2011 at 9:43 am
Man’s identity begins with “I AM” the Name of God when the two become one and an immortal soul is created by our CREATOR and instilled in the newly begotten human being, the newest member of homo sapiens, our human race. The immortal soul of man is the seat of Life, Liberty and the Freedom to pursue our Happiness, the destiny to which each and every individual man is called. Man’s identity begins with original innocence and virginity, all endowed virtues, gifts and favors bestowed by our generous CREATOR, WHO does not create sin nor evil, but only good and goodness.
Man’s sexual identity, for those among us who choose to identify themselves according to their sexual inclinations is formed with original virginity. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Falling from grace is shameful and ought not be celebrated as an attribute since it brings forth chaos and unhappiness and becomes a stumbling block in a man’s journey to his eternal destiny, to man’s pursuit of Happiness, to man’s original innocence and virginity.
The Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ and our Mother maintained her virginity. Jesus Christ is our hope.
Mary De Voe
July 30, 2011 at 4:27 pm
How do you know this is true? I have heard these reports before because this is my archdiocese, but where is the evidence for this? I was no real fan of our former archbishop, but I have only seen this sort of thing in really incendiary, gossipy websites. Until I see real evidence I will consider it as gossip.
July 30, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Marcy
sadly, there are true elements to that story. there are somethings that are "half-truths" and some that are complete misrepresentations, and others dead on accurate. Reading the bullet point list where names are not printed, I knew right away to whom the accusations referred to. A lot of that is stuff was whispered and insinuated but not "enough proof" was ever presented in an atmosphere of not just "beyond a reasonable doubt", but "anything less then video taped evidence with signed notarized documents of those in the videos will be accepted". The worst thing is that with time, many of those who were "suspected" would later on be accused by name. It's is not as bad as that article makes it seem, but there is a problem that is slowly and painfully being worked out.
July 30, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Well, I think it is true. But the graphic of the naked man was not needed.
If you can stomach it, reach Randy Engels "The Rite of Sodomy". I could not even keep the book in my home nor read every word.
July 30, 2011 at 8:01 pm
King Herod swore and oath to Salome to give her anything for which she asked. Salome asked for the head of John the Baptizer on a platter. Herod the King, nobody, can swear an oath or consent to a crime. It is not possible without losing one's soul. Sodomy is assault and battery and two persons cannot consent (consensual) to a crime to remove the evil of the act. Intrinsic evil, unnatural, and inhuman.
July 31, 2011 at 1:50 am
Does objective proof exist for these allegations and, if so, have the appropriate curial departments been informed?
In Australia it was the laity who dragged Rome to intervene in the case of a dissident bishop and priest. It took years but finally Rome acted. To be honest I don't care much about the dissidents eternal salvation; it's the "little ones" whom they scandalise and/or corrupt that I care about.
July 31, 2011 at 2:47 am
The accusations are highly disturbing, but we should try to be optimistic if he is still a bishop in good standing. That being said, he is still a man like the rest of us, prone to weakness. If we have learned anything in the past few years it is that we need to pray for our leaders and for more good ones.
July 31, 2011 at 2:57 am
While the source may be questionable on this story, it can't be dismissed out of hand. Even if only a few of these allegations are true, that's a few too many and there were serious problems there.
The diocese in which I live had, about 20 years ago, a bishop who was widely rumored to be gay and to be actively practicing that lifestyle (for lack of a better way of putting it). He abruptly retired for "health" reasons after a group of lay people started calling attention to his abuses . This group was dismissed as a bunch of cranks at first, but years later, an investigation by the next bishop confirmed that much of what they alleged had been true.
My point is simply, it COULD happen, and it has happened in other dioceses on a smaller scale. I pray it isn't as bad as reported but, now that Miami does have a new bishop, the healing process should be underway. I pray it continues.
Elaine
July 31, 2011 at 2:55 pm
I absolutely do not want women priests.
But, women — and lots of them — should be involved in some way in helping "clear" men for the priesthood. I say this because women will be able to ferret out gay men better than other men (especially if the clearing board are gay men). Gay men treat women differently than straight men, not necessarily worse or better, just different.
We, the Church, should figure out how to get women involved in the screening process, after all, half the population is female.
Same-sex attracted people DO BELONG in the body of Christ, but not in the priesthood. It's complicated to expound on, but true.