Popular Fla. Priest Caught in Sex Scandal

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted May 7, 2009 5:56 PM CDT

(Newser) – A scandal involving a hunky and popular Catholic priest caught cavorting on a Florida beach with an attractive woman is renewing a debate over celibacy and the priesthood, the Miami Herald reports. After the Rev. Alberto Cutié—no sniggering, it's pronounced koo-tee-AY—was photographed kissing and fondling a woman, the Archdiocese of Miami suspended him from saying Mass and leading his Miami Beach parish.

The 40-year-old Cutié, who has a TV show on the EWTN Catholic network and an international following, has apologized and says he's taking time for "personal reflection." Today, parishioners rallied in his defense. ''I think this is the precise moment for the church to recognize that priests are flesh and blood,'' said one. "They should marry, too. I'm sure they'd still be exemplary people.''

[Images (1)]

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The Rev. Alberto Cutie, who is on leave from his duties as the pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish in Miami Beach. (The Archdiocese of Miami)

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He has the right to fall in love and start a family. They're treating him as a sinner. - John Olan, 55, supporter of Padre Cutié

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 14 comments

paul123

May 9, 2009 1:43 AM CDT

well, at least it's a woman this time...

jaguarj

May 8, 2009 12:53 PM CDT

I am sure there is p-l-e-n-t-y of this going on...only this one got caught.

Derni

May 8, 2009 12:08 PM CDT

The psoitive side to this story: He was with a woman and not a youngchild under 17 yrs ols! The church will have to change or fade away-the church has always been very sexuallly repressed-Look at St. Augiustine-he sowed his wild oats-they say he might have been bisexual and then he had a religious eexperience-and his personal experience and many others influenced church practice and teaching-rememebr-when men and women supress natural urges and an internal conflict results it will show itself somehow-and so the church will lose another good man because he desires to act on his natural instinct-just ordain man and woman and be done with it-as a former priest I could offer many a story of a young man that gave up the "calling"-the church has lost too many good people over this issue-what would Jesus Do? He'd ordain married men and women!

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