A Life of Prayer and Reflection

A Life of Prayer and Reflection

A Conversation with a Priest

Chicago, IL

March 1995

I am talking to Dan, a Diocese priest, from Chicago.  He used to be a parish priest but he has been reassigned to an administrative position because of a growing concern.  There are too, too many priests who are causing a problem for the church. So it is his job to meet with any priest who is blatantly homosexual or has a past history of pedophile behaviors.  Dan’s job is to convince these priests to go away, quit the priesthood, leave quietly and NOW.

“You are getting rid of all the gay priests”? 

“No, no, just the blatant ones; the ones that might cause concern for our parishioners.  You know, raise an eyebrow and cause suspicion”.

But many of these priests are too old just to leave.  They don’t have any savings, any income or any skills that could support them.  So they are offered to resign and take up a life of prayer and reflection.  They are sent to a home where they do nothing but “keep it in their pants”. They are stripped of their priestly duties. This offer comes with the understanding that there will be no persecution. So the incentive to be honest and forthright is high. Priests were taking Dan up on this offer before a victim came forward and named them. 

If they wait and got caught in litigation in the future, they run the risk of ending up in jail. These priests are confessing to a time 30 years ago where they did it, “just once, just one kid.”  That singular confession is enough to offer them this protection.

Dan doesn’t tell me how many have confessed but he works full time on this singular focus.  He tells me that every major city has the same, new position.

“We’ve got to take care of this mess”, Dan tells me.

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