Saturday, May 9, 2009

Haiku 050909

goslings

paddling behind mom ...
spring training


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New York Times: “Priest Known as Padre Oprah Strays in South Florida” (by Damien Cave)

“They called the Rev. Alberto Cutié 'Padre Oprah' for his insightful advice about relationships. Now his parishioners, his television and radio audience, and readers of his best-selling book, 'Real Life, Real Love,' know he speaks from experience.

“On Tuesday, photographs in a Spanish-language tabloid showed the 40-year-old priest with deep blue eyes lying shirtless beside, and cuddling with, a dark-haired woman on a North Florida beach. Within hours, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami removed him from his post as pastor of a Miami Beach church, and now all of South Florida seems to be abuzz with discussions of celibacy, celebrity and temptation….

“Father Cutié, born in Puerto Rico to Cuban parents, grew up in Miami. He developed an international following of millions with his television show, ‘Padre Alberto,’ which was first broadcast on Telemundo in 1999….

“Father Cutié’s parish sits in the heart of South Beach, where even the mannequins have extra-large breasts, and many here have also questioned whether this was the time or place for Catholic priests to stay celibate….”

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….Is it outmoded -- requiring priests to be celibate? There are fewer and fewer entrants to the priesthood. There is a relatively smaller number of priests to go around to minister to the faithful, especially the growing numbers of alienated and distressed "faithful". How should the church address this reality?

A number of married men have been given special dispensation by the Vatican to become priests. Maybe it’s time the church seriously debated whether to allow priests to test the waters of marriage or not. "Married" priest sounds better than "fornicating" priest; indeed, much better than "pedophiliac" priest….