Prominent Canadian priest reveals he's gay, criticizes Vatican norms

Published: 2005-12-05

OTTAWA (CNS) -- A prominent Canadian priest revealed his gay identity on national radio and called the recent Vatican document on homosexuals and the priesthood "humiliating" and "insidious." Holy Cross Father Richard Renshaw, a former top official of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and former official of the Canadian Religious Conference, told Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Radio Dec. 4, "There's just some kind of phobia at the highest level." "I really feel upset and sad about the hierarchy," he said. The Nov. 29 Congregation for Catholic Education document says the church "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'" Father Renshaw served as assistant general secretary to the Canadian Religious Conference from 1994 to 2002, when he became deputy director of Development and Peace, the Canadian bishops' international development arm. He left Development and Peace in the spring.

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