I love this story. It appeared in the Sunday Tribune yesterday and relates to Bishop Pat Buckley from Co Antrim. He has not only overturned his vow of celibacy but is openly gay, whilst still practising as priest. He is due to marry his Filipino lover in a civil partnership. Here is the link to the story on the Sunday Tribune’s website, but I have copied in the full article below the post:
http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2010/jan/31/rebel-clerics-gay-marriage-will-infuriate-church-h/
It takes balls to take on the Catholic Church and it’s about time more members of the clergy did. I think the issue of celibacy is the root of a lot of the problems associated with the Catholic Church; I doubt a lot of child abuse cases would have happened if the clergy were able to openly have sex lives.
I appreciate I used the word ‘marry’ to describe the civil partnership that they are having, and this is a bit of misnomer because homosexuals are still discriminated against in Ireland and gay marriage remains illegal. However, the legality of civil partnerships will address the legal problems associated with gay cohabitation when the Civil Partnership Bill is finally passed (it is currently going through the Dail).
One of my client’s is Ireland’s first gay wedding planner; The Finishing Touch (http://www.thefinishingtouch.ie) is run by Caroline Maloney who embraces the concept of ‘gay weddings’ and caters for aspects of same sex marriage in same way as heterosexual weddings are catered for.
Unbelievably a lot of wedding planners in Ireland will not cater for gay clients and refuse to help plan their weddings. This type of discrimination is unbelievable and unacceptable in 2010, but it still happens. “Who raises these people?” you might ask, who indeed, presumably the same people who brought in the new blasphemy law. If you forget the issue of homophobia for a second, the fact that they cut themselves off from an affluent sector of society is madness from a business perspective.
The great thing about Bishop Buckley is that he is putting his foot down and refusing to leave his vocation. He believes, very rightly, that his religion does not contradict his sexuality – good for him. Presumably his parishioners feel the same, and so they should. They should be proud to have such as forward thinking priest in their midst.
If there is one thing that irritates me about modern Ireland is how backward and conservative it can be at time. It holds the country back and reflects very badly on Ireland internationally, particularly when we consider how modern and forward thinking most of Continental Europe is. I’m open minded and I don’t judge people, if they want to live their life the way they want, then so be it. It’s their life, their choice, and they have every right to be happy in the way they choose to be – I, for one, am happy for them.
Just for one minute put yourself in the Bishop’s situation. Not enough people in life stop and think about what it is like to be in someone else’s shoe. Now think about what Bishop Buckley has been through. The decisions he has had to make. The sleepless nights he will have endured. The burden he has carried.
It must be hard enough for anyone coming to terms with their homosexuality and telling their family and friends. Think what it must have been like for priest to go through, the dilemma he has faced. Having to come to terms with the effect his sexuality will have on his life, and the whirlwind that he would have to go through to just be happy in the way that most people take for granted. That is one hard road to travel. It is something that will also probably not get easier. Let’s just hope people accept him for what he his, ensure he is protected and can keep his position in the community.
There must be thousands of priests in similar situations, in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, who don’t have the courage to do what Bishop Buckley has done. Let’s hope this move gives them the courage to do the something about it.
Best of luck to Bishop Pat and his Fiance Eduardo, in their ‘nuptials’. I believe Max Clifford is handling the PR (Max mate I’m happy to help south of the border) so he should make a few bob from his bold move – fair play to him.
Here’s the article from the The Sunday Tribune on 31st January, 2010:
Rebel cleric’s gay marriage will ‘infuriate’ church heads
Pat Buckley vows to continue in ministry after ‘groundbreaking’ nuptials with Filipino lover
Suzanne Breen, Northern Editor
Bishop Pat Buckley with Susan Elliot and Jeanette McGeown after their wedding ceremony at which he officiated: ‘I’ve been battling against the Catholic church for 25 years’
Bishop Pat Buckley is to marry his Filipino boyfriend next week, becoming the first Catholic cleric in the world to enter a civil partnership and continue practising as a priest.
Buckley said he was deeply in love with chef Eduardo Yango (32) and saw no contradiction between their partnership and his faith. The priest, who is originally from Tullamore, Co Offaly, now conducts an independent ministry in Co Antrim.
Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Tribune, Buckley (57) said his marriage in Larne would infuriate the Catholic hierarchy. “There is no conflict between my love for Eduardo and my faith. Both are equally important to me.
“But this is groundbreaking territory. Other priests have married women or entered civil partnerships with men. But they’d all left the church beforehand – none continued with their ministry.
“Eduardo and I have the courage to nail our colours to the mast and hopefully we will encourage thousands of others to do the same. I’ve been battling against the Catholic church as an institution for 25 years. I’m old and wise enough not to lose sleep worrying over what the hierarchy thinks.”
Buckley met Yango three years ago when the Filipino, who has worked on cruise ships, was visiting Ireland. “It wasn’t a wild, love-at-first-sight thing. It’s a meeting of soulmates and companionship. It’s rooted in deeper things than physical attraction alone,” he said.
The couple will marry at a civil ceremony in Larne on Monday week. Buckley said that, apart from two witnesses, the wedding would be private, but the newlyweds would throw a party later.
“We will have family, friends and members of my congregation around for a night of Filipino celebration. Eduardo will cook a Filipino meal and we will enjoy some liquor of course.”
Buckley said his family were “100%” behind him, but Eduardo’s family didn’t know about their partnership. “The Philippines is where Ireland was decades ago – homosexuality is seen as virtually requiring execution,” Buckley said.
While Buckley spoke exclusively to the Sunday Tribune, other media have been referred to Max Clifford, who is handling publicity surrounding the nuptials. Ordained in Waterford, Buckley first clashed with the hierarchy while based on Belfast’s Falls Road when he challenged the late Cardinal Cathal Daly to “live with the poor as would Christ”.
Further clashes with Daly, after Buckley was transferred to Larne, led to the priest’s suspension, but he refused to leave the oratory from where he still conducts his ministry to “the disaffected and alienated”, saying mass twice a week. He was ordained bishop in 1998 by independent Catholic bishop Michael Cox.
When asked how his marriage would be viewed in loyalist Larne, Buckley said: “Larne is 83% Protestant, and has a fair share of Free Presbyterians. But I’ve lived here 25 years and served on the council, so I suppose I’ve become part of the furniture.
“The Iris Robinson story shows that too many people in the North pretend to be something they’re not and lead hidden lives. If what Eduardo and I are doing moves the North a little bit further towards respecting tolerance and diversity, it will be a step in the right direction.”
January 31, 2010
Ends
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13/07/2010 5:56 pm | 
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