Gay lector removed at Arch Street Shrine

No one has anything to say about this?

Can you blame the Friars? They opened their arms to him in Christian love years ago and he repaid them by spitting in their faces. He used his book to point fingers and belittle the Church, after they trusted him in the interviews they had with him. He gloats about stalking (his word, not mine) Cardinal O'Malley, a fellow Franciscan (though slightly different variation.) This is all in the hopes of selling books and mocking his own church.

"spitting in their faces"? a little hysterical don'tcha think (my words not yours). the credibility of these closet cases wrapping themselves in the mantle of "Christian love" is too much. the church has a long history of being hypocritical - and as far as sexually active members of the shrine, i invite you to join me at any number of gay watering holes in boston so i can introduce you to some of your spiritual advisors

"The shrine's executive director, the Rev. David Convertino, said some people had expressed concern about the appropriateness of Pomfret's role at the church."

It is time to say that people are expressing concern about the appropriateness of Rev David Convertino's role as a spiritual leader.

Gone is the safe sex is happy sex program at St. Anthony's Shrine. Boo hoo.

The Shrine had flushed salvation of souls down the toilet since Convertino took the helm. It must have been humiliating for the friars to see their erotica told as memoirs instead of fiction.

Tell the Friars to watch their backs. I hear the next step is tailing them for you tubes of their activities at their watering holes.

It's a sin, period, and considered an abomination by the church (and the majority of people)
Goodbye and good riddance.

What's there to talk about? This person doesn't belong in any type of leadership role in a Catholic Church? I have no issues with his lifestyle, but they are not congruent with Catholic doctrine. Perhaps, at the end of the day, he just isn't a Catholic and would feel comfortable in another denomination.

Just another attempt by O'Malley and the rest of the holy roller, do as I say not as I do Catholics, to appear as though they are in control. The real sin here is the condemnation of the author when the real sinners are the "men" of the cloth. But I suppose the Church had no other choice. It is not as though they could have quietly sent Pomfret off to another parish...those days are over.

The bible says Adam and Eve,not Adam and Steve. The friars do alot of good work in this city. As a regular at the Sunday 10:00 am mass I support them 100%.
God Bless.

Pomfret is a mole. Church hypocrisy is a given. It comes from a long line of fiction: Virgin birth, son of god, walk on water, Holy Ghost, resurrection, purgatory etc. That's what you get for hijacking Jesus posthumously. Now go do that faith thing and bicker with each other about membership.

This has nothing to do with the Church, just another ploy to make the almighty $$$, who is the real hypocrit here? This man seems pretty bight and should use consider using his talents to help, not hurt people.....very sad.

I support rhe friars nad in my opimion __gays are disabled mentally people Otherwise they would be normal. And gays -this guy is for same sex marriage __gays are a inside cancer to society

I can only hope that the church is reacting to the author's statements about the church and not his being gay. In my (speculative) view, the Catholic church has the dubious distinction of rejecting healthy, honest gay people seeking to worship God while harboring unhealthy, dishonest gay people in their highest ranks (whose unhealthy self-loathe manifests itself in dangerous, truly sad ways). Certainly if there is unity about the most important thing (loving God and loving one another), there must be room for variance on subsidiary issues like being gay, unless faith has become so fake as to be defined by rules and stances on issues.

Didn't there used to be a bathhouse there?

Gays be the devil I is a glads he's a gawn!

For all the people writing anti-gay comments on here: are you serious? Go back and read what you just wrote. Consider and contemplate your own ignorance. These comments put you among the ranks of other bile-filled, doggerl-spouting hatemongers like the KKK and the Nazis. If you are *truly* a Catholic Christian--and I doubt you are, "gentlemen," then you would realize that the most Christlike stance you could have on this issue--even if you personally don't like the GLBT community--is to treat gay men and women with respect and kindness just as Jesus would want us to.

To Kevin and all others who read the bible and take to heart that it condemns gays, I find it interesting that you choose to stick to this part of the novel and not to others such as not eating pork or shrimp. How about its views on slavery? Pick and choose, pick and choose. And in doing so, you show your soul to to world.

heh heh! good one, number 9!

jesus possibly had sex with paul. google it

As a mother of a Franciscan, I am so tired of people accusing them of things that are no fault of their own... They are there as God's servants to help those who need their assistance.. How sad ... I only hope when I take my last breath that there is a Priest beside me.

Amen, Kitty (#15) on the treating gay people with respect and kindness. Christ requires that, and they should be embraced. That , however, does not remove license for me (us) to declare their sin abhorent.

Wow, Mike Boston...so anyone who pledges celibacy must be secretly gay and covertly sexually active? You must not know the priests, nuns, brothers and laypeople I know who live their celibacy with seriousness, joy and success. Mike, these Friars are not "my spiritual advisors"--I tend to avoid the Shrine do to my distaste for their liturgy, music and architecture (that 60s Church stainglass is brutal) though I will go occasionally either for mass or confession. You know, mention things "since my last confession" as Pomfret titles his book?

They opened their arms to him, knowing he was gay, and asked him to take part in their minstries and be a part of their community there. In thanks, Pomfret writes an expose.

Is it lost on anyone that the Church firmly teaches that being gay is OK but are called to celibacy for gay sex is contrary to the natural law. The hope is that gays and lesbians will pursue "a Christian perfection."

And that's what this is really about: Pomfret mocking his church, its teachings, and finally the Friars. He states on his blog that writing "gay porn literature" as "compatible with my service at the Shrine."

Huh?? Who does he think he's fooling other than himself?

There has been for some decades rumors, probably reliable and unreliable, about a gay subculture among Franciscan orders. But do we know any facts about sexual activity amongst the Friars at the Shrine? No: just the conjecture of Mr. Pomfret using assumed names in his book.

Pomfret obviously believes that if you're gay, you simply must be out of the closet. The Friars, those that are gay, take a different view: that it can and should be private and are pledging themselves, at least in theory , to celibacy.

It seems very possible that some Friars are violating that. But they deserve to be dealt with by their superiors in the Franciscan order and by God, not by Mr. Pomfret and his decision to be "out" while they decided not to be.

The Friars handled all of this with charity and humility while Pomfret has show precious little of either.

Comments like the following betray a real ignorance of scripture and what the friars are doing.

"To Kevin and all others who read the bible and take to heart that it condemns gays, "

No one has said that the bible condems homosexuals. What it condems is homosexual acts. Didn't Jesus say something like hate the sin but love the sinner ? Condeming advocacy of sin is necessary, but it does not mean not loving the sinner.

Looking at the other side, it is very disappointing that church leaders of all Christian faiths don't emphasize this distinction

Very well stated Malcolm. One of the most frustrating enigmas of being a Catholic these days is to observe those who struggle with the love of the sinner. Having said that, I would remind those who take exception to those of us who speak out against homosexual acts, that the first Spiritual work of Mercy is: "Admonish sinners". Any serious Catholic is called to practice the works of Mercy.

Well, I met this guy at an event at St. Anthony's Shrine and I was impressed with his sincerity and his goodness. It is one of those paradoxes of life to accept people as they are and to take loving action that moves things ahead and brings more life to a community. I love the Franciscans over there. They have been very brave with gay Catholic issues. Dave Convertino is really doing a fantastic job. It's tough being gay and Catholic and people are held to much higher scrutiny than the straight folks. It'll be easier if people can just accept the paradoxes of life. If imperfect priests can be handing out communion, I think anybody is worthy enough to read from the pulpit. I'm sure this guy wasn't broadcasting his erotic writing life at mass. People in the pews can bring up unnecessary controversy and make it hard for people to do the right thing. I hope we can hold all parties with love and concern for how difficult it is to follow the command to love with real, live flawed human beings and human institutions.

Seems like St. Anthony's needs to update their website--their Flash intro ends with the words "All are Welcome"...are they?

There obviously has existed a culture of pedophilia and homosexuality in the catholic church for hundreds of years.

I applaud the light falling upon it. Falling upon the abuse of trust and power to take advantage of innocents. Not that being homosexual was the cause of the practice, just the practice of the cause.

People keep discussing all sides of the issues until the focus becomes clear, whatever it may be.

Dave S., it's interesting that you juxtaposed the phrase "All is Welcome" with the facts of this case. Two summers ago, I visited a friend in New York and was walking on Park Ave. when I saw a very beautiful church. I made him stop so that we could go in and so that I could say a quick prayer. I wasn't sure that it was Catholic, but I was hoping it was. The second that I saw a sign in the entryway that said "All is welcome," I knew it couldn't be a Catholic Church. It was St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church.

I was raised Catholic, went to 13 years of Catholic school, then 4 years of a Catholic College. I volunteer taught at a Catholic school on an Indian reservation after graduation, living in the residence of a group of Brothers. I love my faith and I seriously considered being a priest. There's only one problem with my story: I'm gay. I don't go to my church at home anymore, nor volunteer teaching CCD like I did for years because I'm afraid somebody will find out that I have a boyfriend (of 3 years). I can't bear the rejection of the people I love and who have loved me.

I don't know the details of this case. I feel sympathy both for the Friars and Mr. Pomfret. Certainly, I don't approve of religious breaking their vows or lurid exposes of adult sex in the church. I'm not a writer of exotic literature, but I've read enough about gay men with far less damning accusations being forced from the faith communities they love. I'm only 26, but I don't have the courage to have anything to do with the Church anymore. My faith is strong and my family loves me, but as for the Church, I don't know if I can ever trust it with my soul.

I think the gay partners went too far in attacking the Catholic Church after the church has tried to keep a relationship with them. Once again, the Church will probably be blamed for not being open to their opinions while they go on attacking the Church's positions. I am proud of the Arch Street Shrine for taking this stand!

Like Boston guy, I feel that we have to make a strict distinction between this particular situation and the arrogant, "in-your-face" attitude of Pomfret (whoever he is; I hadn't even heard of this story until today), and the majority of sincere, God-loving homosexual and lesbian people. Porn shouldn't be used by any God-loving person, whether straight or gay---it objectifies persons and destroys relationships. To me, that's the big sin here, but it's no bigger to me than if the author were a heterosexual. It's too bad, becuase the whole story just fuels the hatred of those who see homosexuality as THE sin. Gay sisters and brothers who love God, please speak out with love when someone with Pomfret's arrogance and activities help to cast aspersion on your community.

I hope that one day we shall be able to love God and one another without an obsessive concern about which particular others we love.