Gay Priest Says
Homophobia Kept Him
From AIDS Mission
Relief Group Says
Concern Was About Africans' Feelings
By MARY KATE BURKE,
LAW and JUSTICE UNIT, abc NEWS August 10, 2006
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The Rev.
Fred Daley, a gay Roman Catholic clergyman, had grown increasingly
disturbed by Vatican pronouncements over the years that homosexuals
were unfit to be priests. He came out to his bishop,
parishioners and his entire community to show that homosexuals were
faithfully working in the church. Daley is pictured at St.
Francis de Sales Church
Utica, NY., Tuesday, 11-8-05(Kevin Rivoli/ AP |
Roman Catholic priest Father Fred
Daley, 59, was scheduled to be on an AIDS mission to Africa last Sunday.
He had undergone months of training and was preparing to spend more than a year
in Lesotho, where one-third of the population suffers from AIDS.
"The airline tickets had been sent," Father Daley tells ABC News. "There
was no condition to that."
But it turns out there was a condition, and now Daley won't be going anywhere.
On July 18, Daley was suddenly withdrawn from his mission to Lesotho, Africa by
its organizers, Catholic Relief Services (CRS). He says the reason is
homophobia, because he is gay.
"This whole situation is surrounding homophobia," Daley told ABC News.
Daley has publicly acknowledged his homosexuality since 2004, but he maintains
his vow of celibacy. Daley has also been an outspoken advocate for
homosexual rights, appearing on ABC's "Nightline" with Cynthia McFadden in
November 2005.
Michael Wiest, CRS chief executive officer, and Dave Piriano, a CRS vice
president, said that it was not Daley's sexuality that prompted their
organization to take him off the mission. They say that what concerned
them was that Daley was a public advocate of gay rights. Wiest and Piriano
say they were worried about the reaction from their camp in Africa.
"Lesotho is a country of 1 million poor African peasants," Piriano said.
"There are different societal norms there."
"Had we known earlier we could have avoided so much controversy," Wiest added.
"It is not that he is a gay celibate priest but that he is a well-known activist
throughout the United States... We became concerned about his celebrity in
the American dialogue distracting from the mission."
"It seems to me very clear that they are coming up with a way to cover
homophobia and fear of homophobia," Daley said. The decision reminds him
of racist hiring processes and the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, he
said.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell?
"There is no doubt that this seems like 'don't ask don't tell,'" Daley said.
"If I was a closeted gay priest there would be no problem. But because I
am struggling for the rights of all gay and lesbian people fighting against
homophobia in our whole culture -- I am seen as a problem."
But CRS officials adamantly denied that they have a de facto "don't ask, don't
tell" policy in place.
"It is not 'don't ask, don't tell,'" Piriano said. "He could have told.
He could have worn a button!"
Weist adds that CRS was mostly concerned about the prospect of homophobia in
Africa.
"There is a certain taboo about homosexuality in this country. Multiply
that by 10 [in Lesotho]," Wiest said.
Daley, however, says that CRS workers in Lesotho accepted his sexuality and knew
about his role as an advocate.
"The Archbishop of Lesotho welcomed me," Daley said. "I received
information from staff in Lesotho that my invitation there has been
re-emphasized among the people, but even though the archbishop had no problem,
the CRS officials did have a problem."
Daley had been assigned to this particular African community by CRS and says he
wonders why he was not simply assigned to another community if there really was
an issue with his homosexuality in Lesotho.
Confrontation
Daley sat down with CRS officials Monday at their headquarters in Maryland.
The relief service officials said they wanted to clarify what was, in their
words, "a misunderstanding." Daley used the time to confront Wiest and
Piriano.
He told the two that the Archbishop of Lesotho had welcomed him to the mission.
"They weren't aware of that until today," he told ABC after their meeting.
Daley says he believes he had called their bluff. The CRS officials, who
had spoken to ABC News before the meeting, declined further comment Monday.
"We are going to let our comments from Friday stand," said a CRS spokesman.
"We don't want to keep going back and forth."
Those who know Daley well are angered by the CRS decision.
"This is disgraceful, everybody is enraged," says Brenda Lambert, business
manager of St. Francis de Sales church in Utica, N.Y., Daley's parish.
Lambert supports Daley and says she does not know a St. Francis church-goer who
doesn't.
"He is a wonderful man," she says. "He lives the gospel every day of his
life."
James Martin, a Jesuit priest and associate editor of America Magazine, a Jesuit
weekly, profiled Daley when he first came out in 2004.
"I think it's frankly astonishing," Martin says of the CRS position, "I find the
decision tragic... Father Daley wants to do a mission that not a lot of
priests -- straight or gay -- are willing to do and he is not seen [by CRS] as
worthy to follow in Christ."
Controversy
CRS officials insisted that any controversial advocate, straight or gay, would
have been removed from the mission, comparing the attention that Daley could
receive to that of megastars working abroad.
"Matt Damon showed up where CRS was providing assistance and the little town
couldn't handle his celebrity," Weist said last week.
"First of all they really are inflating my role as a public figure," Daley
responds. "Secondly, a priest or any Catholic has church. A priest
by nature is a public figure."
Wiest said that even if Daley were a divisive advocate of women in the
priesthood, he still would have been removed because of controversy. But
Daley notes that he was never asked what causes he publicly supports.
"I do support women priests," Daley says. "I am a very outward supporter
of women priests. I am also a public supporter of optional celibacy, these
are all controversial."
Daley is adamant that it is only his homosexuality, not the debated subject of
his advocacy, that is keeping him from what he believes is part of his vocation.
"I was arrested in front of the White House in December for protesting the Iraq
war and I don't think that would have kept me out of Lesotho," he said.
For now, Daley continues to serve his supportive community in upstate New York.
He vows to maintain his advocacy and his pride but still wishes he had the
opportunity to serve in Lesotho.
"If I was straight I would be packing my bags," he says. "I am not a gay
priest with apology.
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