Cutie Weds

From the Miami Herald: Fr Alberto Cutie weds his girlfriend of two years in the Episcopal Church. While this guy is saying that he doesn't want to be the poster boy for optional celibacy that seems to be exactly what he is becoming. Check the video below at this link which would be so much better if the Miami Herald would get with the program and allow embeds.

More from the article:

In an hourlong, private ceremony, Cutié, 40, said ''I do'' and kissed the new Mrs. Cutié at the historic St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church in North Miami Beach. The couple, who dated for two years, then danced at a reception that followed late into the night.

A handful of private guards and several North Miami Beach police cruisers were on watch at the church gate as Episcopal church priests, the couple's families and friends, were ushered in.

Clad in a white dress, Canellis arrived at 7 p.m. in a black stretch limo with tinted windows. Bridesmaids in dark red dresses sat by her side. Donning a black tuxedo, Cutié arrived in a black SUV.

Dozens of reporters from local and international media staked out the church grounds in addition to many local residents aching to see the famous couple.

''I don't like the way Alberto has handled himself,'' said Maria Rivas, 62, of North Miami Beach, who had heard reports about the wedding and rushed to the church to try to get in.

''It's a free world,'' remarked Victor Gutierrez, 49, of North Miami Beach. Let them have fun and be happy.''

Cutié legally married Canellis before a Miami-Dade County judge in a private ceremony at the Coral Gables courthouse on June 16th. The couple had joined the Episcopal church in late May, and Cutié announced he had begun the process required to become an Episcopal priest.

Cutié left his post at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Miami Beach on May 5th after a Spanish-language celebrity magazine published photos of him entwined with Canellis on a Florida beach, a violation of his vow of celibacy as a Catholic priest.

With its lush greenery and Gothic architecture, St. Bernard de Clairvaux, commonly referred to locally as the Spanish Monastery, is one of the most popular spots in South Florida for weddings and photo shoots.

A h/t to the Deacon for this info.

Fr. Cutie to the Episcopalians for a prayer to be named later

He's outta here! From Catholic News Agency:

Miami, Fla., May 28, 2009 / 03:54 pm (CNA).- Father Alberto Cutie, a priest and television host who was well-known in the Miami area, has left the Catholic Church and joined the Episcopal Church. The priest's change comes after he was photographed kissing a woman on a beach earlier this month.

Fr. Cutie was received into the Episcopal Church today at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Miami.

At a press conference Fr. Cutie thanked God and those in the wider community who have supported him. “Your prayers have truly sustained me at this time of transition in my life. With God's help, I hope to continue priestly ministry and service in my new spiritual home."

In an announcement about his leaving the Catholic Church, Fr. Cutie said, “I want to assure you that this journey did not begin a few weeks ago. I have searched my soul and sought after God's guidance for a long time. I have also spoken to friends in and outside the Episcopal Church about their service to God and the many similarities that exist among the various branches of Christianity, which profess the Catholic faith.”

"I will always love the Catholic Church and all its members. But I want to start today by going into a new family,” Cutie said.

This disappoints me on many levels and makes me wonder about the repercussions of this:

Do people follow him to the Episcopal Church?
What does this say about his commitment to Catholicism?
He talked about some deep soul searching--which I think is a bunch of malarkey--if he didn't get caught he wouldn't have been making this move.

What do y'all think?

Father "What a Waste"

Sad to see that one of our popular "media priests" has been removed from ministry.

From the Miami Herald

The Rev. Alberto Cutié, a national figure with movie star looks, was removed from his Miami Beach church Tuesday after photographs appeared in a magazine showing him frolicking with a woman in the sand on a Florida beach.

A wildly popular Catholic priest, newspaper columnist and radio and television personality, Cutié will no longer run operations or say Sunday Mass at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church.

Word of Cutié's punishment came during a brief news conference in front of a small gathering of reporters at the Archdiocese of Miami headquarters on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami Shores.

''The vow of celibacy is part of the ordination,'' said spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta. ``A man who is a priest is able to totally focus on the church.''

Earlier in the day, Cutié spoke with Archbishop John C. Favalora, who said that the pictures of Cutié and the woman saddened him.

''Father Cutié's actions cannot be condoned despite the good works he has done as a priest,'' Favalora said in a statement. ``I ask for everyone's prayers at this time.''

I see a lot of people calling for optional celibacy here. But that's not the point, I think. The point is that Fr Cutie (you can't make these names up) broke his vows and that we need to be able to see him as a fallible human being. Perhaps it doesn't mean that he can return to ministry until he can be assured that he can live a celibate life but I think there's a more systemic problem here with priests who break their celibacy vow.

Cutie himself hints at what could be the issue at hand in his apology posted on his website:

Before God - full of love and mercy - I ask for the forgiveness of those who may be hurt or saddened by my actions. Since I entered the seminary at the age of 18, the priesthood has brought me great joy. The commitment that I made to serve God will remain intact. I am grateful for the love and support I have received today from so many in our community, especially my parishioners and the supporters of the radio stations who have demonstrated great compassion and understanding toward me as a human being. I ask for your continued prayers and support.

Father Albert Cutié

He entered the seminary at the age of 18! While admirable, I often wonder if it's healthy for some (not all) men to enter seminary so young? This point of our development as a person really involves getting to know ourselves more deeply. I know I learned so much about myself in college and especially learned that I wanted to be married. At 18, I find it difficult to think that most people are ready to enter into a lifelong commitment to ANYTHING much less, a celibate priesthood. I'd like to think that Padre Alberto simply may not have figured out how to deal with amorous feelings nor what to do about them when they arise.

A good friend of mine said one time that one of the questions that was asked of him when he started in seminary was: "What are you going to do WHEN you fall in love?" Not even an "if" was mentioned in that question. I think that's something for all priests and religious to ask themselves and to address with a spiritual director and much like an alcoholic would call a sponsor, perhaps a similar relationship with a confessor or spiritual director needs to take place? As a married person, even living a monogamous life can be challenging, especially for those of us who are in the public eye. We may be more attractive to others because of our confidence, or our bravado, or our wit. Fr. Cutie is an incredibly good-looking man and undoubtedly he becomes the proverbial "forbidden fruit." That can't be easy. But perhaps he may not have been equipped to handle such pressure and succumbed to it? Who knows? Perhaps he may also have an issue with power relationships and found easy prey in a woman who wanted his attention and affection? Again, nobody knows.

My thought is that he needs our prayers and a good director who may be able to help him live his priesthood in a authentic way. So say a prayer today that Fr Cutie may indeed be at peace with whatever decision comes to him with the guidance of the holy spirit and his superiors.