Former Catholic priest, Albert Cutie releases tell-all book, questions Church’s celibacy rule
He was called Father Oprah, Father Cutie, and Father What-a-Waste when he was an internationally popular Catholic priest with his own TV shows, radio shows, a newspaper advice column and a bestselling book.
Then a Mexican magazine released photos of him kissing a divorced woman (now his wife) on the beach, and Father Albert Cutié (pronounced Koo-tee-ay) eventually left the church and in due time was ordained as an Episcopalian priest, Miami New Times said.
His autobiographical book is a tell-all about his experience in the priesthood, what it was like to be “Father Oprah,” his spiritual commitment to God, and joining the Episcopal church, among other things, the National Catholic Register said.
Poder 360 said that the Cuban American served for 14 years with the Miami Archdiocese. According to his website, he married Ruhama Canellis, who recently gave birth to their child, Camila Victoria.
In his book, Cutié says the Catholic church is hypocritical about homosexuality and describes it as misogynistic, adding that it is an “institution that continues to promote old ideas,” according to Miami New Times.
Cutié wrote, “There are so many homosexuals, both active and celibate, at all levels of clergy and church hierarchy that the church would never be able to function if they were really to exclude all of them from ministry,” Miami New Times reported.
One way the Vatican helped to augment its waning numbers was to form an ordinariate to accommodate traditional Anglicans or Episcopalians who were disillusioned with their church, so that they could convert to Catholicism (see http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/08/traditional-anglican-bishops-may-convert-to-catholicism-13307).
In light of this, Cutié’s move to the Episcopalian church gains particular irony. In his book, he blames the Catholic doctrine of celibacy as the root of clergy sexual abuse and questions the tradition. Time Magazine noted that Cutié’s book will doubtless bring celibacy back to the table for debate.
The National Catholic Register takes issue with Cutié’s press release which it says depicts him as a victim. It notes that prior to publishing his book, Cutié once said he didn’t want to be known as the “anti-celibacy priest.”
Poder 360 said that Cutié slammed the Catholic double standard in turning its eye away when priests have affairs, whether with men, women or children, as long as these are kept secret and do not attract media attention.
Breath of fresh air
Time reported that as Father Oprah, Cutie was a breath of fresh air to his fans because he focused more on being a counselor than talking about rigid Catholic doctrine.
But now, Cutie says the Catholic church “is disconnected from the very people it was meant to serve.” Miami New Times questions if there are other priests who may secretly harbor disagreement with celibacy adding, “They certainly wouldn’t be the only Catholics to doubt some of their church’s most controversial teachings.”