Radio Paz host Alberto Cutie in hot photos, hot water

Father Alberto Cutie, who runs the Catholic church's Miami radio stations Radio Paz (WACC, 830 AM) and Radio Peace (WLVJ, 1040 AM) and hosts a show on Radio Paz, is in trouble with his diocese and may be about to lose not just his radio job but his entire parish. The magazine TVnotas has photos of that appear to be Cutie frolicking with a woman on the beach. The Miami Herald's city desk is reporting that Cutie is meeting with Archbishop John Favalora Tuesday afternoon, and the church is expected to take disciplinary action against the priest for violating his vows of chastity.

Cutie is a warm and articulate voice for Catholicism. After I debated him on the meaning of Christmas on WLRN radio in 2004 -- as an atheist, I was arguing the position that you don't need to believe in Christianity to find Christmas a time of brotherhood, an expression of our better selves; he, of course, was saying the theology of the holiday is paramount -- I wondered why the church didn't give him a TV show like the one Bishop Fulton Sheendid in the 1950s. That doesn't seem likely in the wake of these photos.

4:30 P.M. UPDATE:

Diocese officials said Tuesday afternoon that Cutie has been suspended from his duties as a church administrator and manager of the radio stations. They wouldn't say, however, whether the suspension will be permanent.

Meanwhile, Cynthia Hudson, the executive vice president of WSBS-SBS 22, confirmed that her station was offered the same photos that appear in TVnotas but declined to buy them. Hudson-Fernandez said a paparazzi group approached the WSBS show Paparazzi TV about four to six weeks ago and offered to sell the photos as well as a video for "a six-figure price."

But, Hudson-Fernandez said, the station was spooked by the price and not certain that the material was authentic.

"The video was shot from far, far away and you couldn't really see very much," she said. "The photos, there was no full-on shot of a face. We were wary ...Our policy is that we have to be able to verify that the photos and video we use are really the people they say they are, because of the delicacy of the situation. And because of the quality and the price and the difficulty in verification, it was something we just passed on."

Hudson-Fernandez said the photographers told her they had been following Cutie and the photos were shot on a beach near St. Augustine, Florida.

6:30 P.M. UPDATE:

Cutie has confirmed that the photos are authentic. "I ask for the forgiveness of those who may be hurt or saddened by my actions," he said in a statement issued to the news media.

Comments

[Mike Holland]

Many of us Catholics would agree with you, Glenn, that Christmas isn't the only time of year to be loving and civil to our fellow human beings. The theology is important but shouldn't exclude anyone. The holidays are more about business and that's fine as long as no one confuses the two. catholics don't the corner on Truth any more or less than the Jews, Muslims or Atheists. It may even be true that we are all wrong about what happens at the end of life.
FWIW, I'm confused that the Creator enjoys flipping the equivalent of the remote control and is laughing the celestial equivalent of a behind at our antics. "They think I meant THAT? I love them all but sometimes they're just so clueless"

[lapsed catholic for good reasons]

the catholic church needs to wake up and realize its vow of chastity is ridiculous. cutie is a good priest and has done many good things. and thank god this did not involve an altar boy. i could care less if he has a girlfriend. i think many catholics agree. they'd have more priests too if they lifted the antiquated requirement

[DannyK]

It is quite common for Catholic priests on vacation to pretend they're not priests and abandon their vows.

[Ramon Garcia]

It is not true. Cutie needs to declare by himself if the pictures are real or not.

[jd]

When priest make mistakes it is not easier to say lets change the rules to make it better for them. You can not be fully commited to both the church and a family. And besides that is the rule..if it does not suit you DO NOT MAKE THE COMMITTMENT. The vow was taken by choice,not by force.

[Jenny]

Father Albert, you are human but you should have given up being a priest before doing this. We are human and we need to have a partner that is the name of the game and we need a company, but you should have respected the rules of the catholic church before doing this. You should make the best out of your life and enjoy it too but you do not need to make more problems to the catholic church, we as catholic have enough with people laughing at us daily and making fun of our church. Shame on you for not being respectul

[Dan]

You have choices and becoming a Deacon it would allow you to have a family and enjoy the married life. This is your choice but respect ,please respect our church. Jesus told Peter "over this rock you will build my church" and this is the catholic church now with the "Pope ". Please respect our tradition and our church. We are human but we also make choices.

[CubanBach]

The vow of chastity is not founded on any principle in the Holy Bible. No other major religion forces a leader to give up what God ordered humankind to do in the Old Testament (to reproduce).

It is time that "the Church" change this dusty and unfounded doctrine once and for all.

[CubanBach]

Father Alberto:

Life is for living, you did nothing wrong in the eyes of God, only in the eyes of the absurd and outdated Catholic church's doctrine of celibacy.

[Ronald David]

Celibacy

Matthew 19:12 : When the disciples questioned Jesus about not marrying, He said "Some are incapable of marriage, because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."

Luke 18:29-30 Jesus said to the Apostles "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive an overabundant return..."

1 Corinthians 7: 25-27: Now concerning the unmarried, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think that in view of the present distress it is well for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:32-38: I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. If any one thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry -- it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So that he who marries his betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

[The Truth]

Marriage

Heb. 13:4 "Marriage is honorable among all, and the marriage bed is undefiled; but fornicators and adulters God will judge."

The Catholic Church

1 Timothy 4:1-4: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be receieved with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."

Jesus was not married during his first mission to Earth. He shall return again in Power and Glory and Victory and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess He is Lord. And He will marry his bride.

Rev. 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

[True Believer]

So the Catholic Church reassigns pedophiles and homosexuals who prey on little boys, but fires the priest who has a relationship with an adult woman?

[tito azor]

Yes our Padre Alberto made a mistake and he has recognized it,and he asked all of us for forgiveness, he became a priest at a very young age,18 years old,sure we have other plans as we get older,but i am under the impression,that he asked for a dispense from Rome at one time or another and i guess he did not get it.Yes he acted wrong,but thank God it was not with a minor or a gay person.Sure we don't approve of his actions,but are willing to accept him in our society.

[s]

THANK YOU TRUE BELIEVER! I feel that if it were a boy, or young man, the church would be ok with that, RIGHT?

[Thomas]

There is one thing King Henry VIII did, and that was to break from this church.

[SuperMario45]

We were all created as sexual beings, that's a big part of God's provision for our hapiness.

The priest here is not the problem, he did nothing wrong, a human commandment which is contrary to the Word of God and an injust organization is.

1st. Timothy 3:1-2 states "if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A BISHOP then must be blameless, THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach"

This Religion must recognize this fact, and put aside this human invention called celibacy, which is bringing dispear, insatisfaction, sadness and bitterness to many catholic priests worldwide and shame to their organization and communities.

How can they be so tough with this priest and protect other catholic priest who have done terrible things, like rape, pedophile, and child molestations??

Father Alberto is just another victim of the politics of this evil organization.

[angel]

We are all sinners and we must answer to the consequences of our actions. He broke his vow to God and to the Church. We should pray for Father Alberto, his family, and our Church.

That being said, I believe that priests should have the option to get married if they wish. Is not the sacrament of Matrimony sacred?

[miami lakes]

YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE NOSE, TRUE BELIEVER!

[Doubting Thomasina]

Can anyone prove that God or Jesus said, or did, any of the things stated in the bible?

[Kelly]

The most intelligent and thoughtful priest I have ever known left the Church when he was in his early forties. Like most priests, he went to the Seminary after graduating high school. He then continued his education and attained degrees.

My view on priests leaving their vocation is that it's based on the natural progression of maturing and realizing one's choices in life were tilted towards a parent's needs and wants, or not being mature enough to understand the depth of the sacrifices it takes to walk through life alone.

Maybe Fr. Cutie was also too young when his religious life started; or all the media attention went to his head. I do know that other priests in our State who've been in trouble have all been drinkers. The correlation to their getting into trouble and loneliness is striking.

[Paul]

Why would he flaunt this on a public beach. There's something a little fishy about this. I wouldn't be surprised if these photos were set up to convince us that Father Cutie likes women - and I think there may be an even bigger scandal brewing.

[Jibarita]

I think that people do not understand that falling in love and respecting vows, are two totally different issues. While I do agreed that any HUMAN has the right to fall in love and pursue that feeling, I'm having a hard time overlooking that fact that he did not respect the vows that HE VOLUNTARILY took. Yes, he was young and more than likely, not mature enough to understand what he was giving up, but as he grew older, and started questioning the rules and expectations he had committed to, he should have taken some time to decide his future. The very minute he started thinking about starting a relationship that violated those vows, he should had talk to his spiritual councelor and/or request a leave of absence to sort out his internal issues. His vocation doesn't have anything to do with the issue either, one can honestly have a vocation to God and have human feelings, but you don't question the institution you choose to enter,and their rules, just because, suddenly they interferred with your desires. Obviously, Fr Alberto was struggling with these issues for a while and I want to believe that he is smart enough and could have come up with a better way of challenging the church's rules that humiliting himself, his profession and the same church that he so fervently defended for so many years. I personally know 3 ex-priest that have taken that path, yet all 3 of them, resigned and then pursue their loves. Two of them are happily married one for 35 yrs, the other for 20; as for the 3rd one, his commitment to marrige didn't work out, after testing the waters for 5 yrs, he got divorce. He once told me that been married was almost the same as been a priest, only that he was committment was different and that; that he later found out that the struggle he had was not with the church's rules but within himself, that the temptation was to much and if given the opportunity, he would have returned to priesthood. We all have struggles, what makes us stronger is the way we deal with them.

[Elvia]

He who is free of sin cast the first stone.

[JWW]

I don't blame him have you seen his nuns?

[Anisio]

Many of these commentaries show a profound ignorance of the value of celibacy and of the Scriptures.I only hope that Fr. Alberto will keep alive his faith in the Catholic Church, the only church on earth that teaches the whole doctrine of Christ.In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church priests are not required renounce marriage.But celibacy is highly desirable.

[Mrosso]

There are many married people who break their vows, should we say marriage is bad? The issue is not celibacy, but rather faithfulness and commitment. Fr Cutie has failed to keep his vows just like most of us, he has not killed anyone. He has asked forgiveness, and God has forgiven him. Let him move on with his life.

[Carla Rodriguez]

I am a Catholic, and i still love and respect Padre Alberto I think he could still be a very good priest if the Church allows him.
God be with you at this very difficult time dear Padre Alberto.

[DOLORES ECHEGOYEN]

Father Alberto is a excellent priest! He has done so many good things and it would be a great lost to the Catholic church if they cant accept him for being human. Blame the woman who tempted him and not him!

[Luis]

Don't you all be so stupid. He obviously wanted to be seen with that woman doing those things. Why did he want that? Well that is not for me to say.

I don't feel that he's being completely honest. Whenever he is completely honest about everything that is going on, then I will support him.

[cecilia]

I just know that Fr. Alberto is a good man and a very good priest, but at the same time he is human and enter the Priesthood to young, is not a big deal, too much publicity, is about time the the Church change this rules of celibacy, perhaps they will have more priests.
Posted by: Cecilia May 08, 2009

[Luis]

soory but give up the catholics church, is for believer.

We're living a hard moment, and specially catholic religion we want not continue involving our church, please leave now you duty and get marry.

[DOLORES ECHEGOYEN]

Father Alberto te querimos! We love u! You are a great priest and if u leave the priesthood the Catholic church will be without one of the best priest it has ever had. I am saying this as a woman that has been Catholic for 48 years and knows how so many people this priest has helped!

[Elizabeth Moore]

La verdad no soy cucufata, pero me parece que lo mas honesto hubiera sido colgar los habitos y seguir su vida y ser un misionero seglar junto a su pareja, quien dice es tambien muy creyente.
Me fastidia que pongan a Dios como que el lo perdona todo, es cierto que el es puro amor, pero la hipocresia, y el escandalo, creo que Nuestro Padre no le agrada,como dicen "Dios perdona el pecado mas no el escandalo".
Que lastima que aun exista el celibato. Deberian dejar que los sacerdotes se casen y tengan sus hogares,creo que asi se evitarian tantos casos de abuso sexual a ninos y estos casos como del padre Alberto son comunes y la iglesia a veces se hace la de la vista gorda.
Yo soy catolica,y seguire siendo catolica pase lo que pase, pero me gustaria que los sacerdotes sean mas transparentes, mas honestos y que si se enamoran dejen de ejercer el sacerdocio y punto. Y escribo en espanol porque me gusta decir esto en mi propio idioma.

[Stephen]

On occasions like this, it is good to be a protestant minister. But seriously, Father Cutie should step down. I am not saying this because I am mad at him or anything, but it is apparent that his vow a chastity is a fantasy. If he loves god and wants to continue in the ministry, he should do it in a denomination that will allow him to serve god and express his love for a woman at the same time. It is all very simple. If he loves women, being a catholic priest will only cause a conflict within him. He needs to be where he can honest with humanity and god.

[elderlyone]

Who amoung us can cast the first stone? We are all human and are not perfect. Ultimately, who are we going to be held accountable for? Ourself, not our neighbor or our friend or enemy or Father Albert. I will be responsible for me only. I pray for my friend, Albert and his family at this most difficult time. He was there for so many for so long through many of life's difficulities, let us not forget to be there for him. In our thoughts, our words and our prayers.

[Teresa Fernandez]

One thing is letting the priest to get marry.
Another thing is getting in fornication.

Are you justificating fornication? Fornication is allright?

If the world continue justificating sins, pretty soon we start thinking the 10 Commandments are wrong and obsoletes.

We may pardon, but no justificating the sins.

[Aurelia]

Father Alberto should have respected his vows and as he says his love for his church. The woman should have respected him as a priest and remembered her son while they were frolicking in the sun. Where was Father Alberto's respect for the church and the woman's love for her son while he was necking and patting her in full view of everyone. If he is so respectful, renounce the vows he has already broken and hope the woman can live with herslf and help her son get over this scandal.

[Melanie]

I discovered this information on my french Newspaper (Le Figaro). I would never ever understand why being a husband/father prevents you from beeing a man of the Church. I don't accept any kind of advice on the familly subject from someone who doesn't know what is a familly, I mean a real familly and not a spiritual familly.

[amba Till]

I mean priests have the right to be happy.I am a french blogger and writer as well.

http://ambatill.blog.lemonde.fr/
http://lechemindagoue.20minutes-blogs.fr/

[Sabine in NY]

Father Albert was CALLED BY GOD. Nothing is a surprise to God. This man of God is only human. He was there to spread the good news and he is being crucified because he is human. Who are WE to cast the first stone?
If we could do it all without God's help we wouldn't have needed Our Lord Jesus Christ to died for us on the cross. God's word is clear.
The World interprets too much... man made rules and rituals are what kills and angers. God will be the judge. If YOU don't want to be judge...