"unfortunate" disclosure

Does that mean that lying isn't a sin anymore? Woo hoo! Score big time! I'm going to let the diocesan appeal know that I'm planning on donating $20K to the next collection. It'll make me feel good, and, since we don't have to tell the truth anymore, I can spend my ducats on more bling.

I am sorry for all concerned.

I don't know how common it really was in the early Church for Penitents to stand up before the congregation and reveal their sins. I shudder to think about how awful it would be to do so now.

The priest probably sinned in many ways leading up to that disclosure. Nonetheless, to have his sins laid bare before man must have been his worst nightmare. No less horrible must have been the effect on those suddenly confronted with the knowledge that their Pastor was given to such perversions.

Forgive me for saying so but I see nothing even remotely funny in this story.

Many people still believe that only a small minority of the ordained Catholic clergy are active homosexuals.

Like PT Barnum said, "There's one born every minute."

God - 1; foolish priest - 0.

It could well have been for reasons of health, as in "the bishop is gonna kill me!"

This is a sad story, but I have to admit: I laughed. I don't like the use of projectors in church and this is one more reason why they're A Bad Idea.

Although in this instance, it could be a good idea. May the man get help and may the parish get healing, and may God have mercy on all our sins.

When a cleric is caught doing something intrinsically disordered, we can still (discreetly of course) refer to the gravely sinful behavior as "sick". To refer to sexual depravity as evidence of deficient mental health in other contexts, though, is politically incorrect.

I work where young and old men possibly become priests. They are formed in a do as I say, not as I do environment. As well as an environment of entitlement. If these men do not come into the seminary with an already strong faith, I can see how they would easily fall prey to temptation. We must keep these men in our prayers because they are surely attacked most brutally by the enemy. Also pray that the Church changes it's formation of priests and creates humble men that we see Christ reflected in. Personally, I would like to see Father Corapi appointed a Rector. It would be like having the Marines running a seminary.

Why do these stories of sexual misconduct seem to be homoerotic in nature? You would think if celibacy was to blame, the pictures would have depicted women.

Twitter link to this does not work. THanks.

If the guy in question were to be burned at the stake, couldn't it be said that he left the pulpit "for health reasons?"

You guys never should have closed down the Holy Inquisition. Now you can't find'em when you need'em.

They say....there are no coincidences. It wouldn't shock me to learn that this priest could swear on a stack of bibles that he did not leave the photo file in a location that the show-and-tell software he was using could access. The Lord has His ways and everything that is hidden will be revealed. Count on it.

You without sin cast the first stone...the diocese did right in removing this pastor from his duties. We who are judging are sinning...note I did put "we" in that statement.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace - pray for us, O Holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ -

I want to commend Anon in Phila for hitting the nail on the head. How awful for any of us to have our own stupidity and defects aired publicly. We must be humble here and pray that God helps this priest and the parishioners.

Francis is right too that we ought to keep in mind the spiritual attacks on priests and seminarians and pray for them. I totally agree that Father Corapi and a dozen men like him would solve of lot of problems in seminaries really quickly! We ought to pray for that too.

By the way, is this one of the problems the former bishop was too strict about so they removed him? Just too orthodox for the kumbya crowd who approve of this stuff. Well, here's another fruit of their efforts over the past forty years.

I feel like everyone is missing an important point here. I think God did a great thing by permitting Fr. Lyman's vice to be exposed so monumentally. Yes, I would be embarrassed if my sins were projected 500 times their normal size and revealed publicly -- but I'm thinking I'd be VERY loathe to repeat them. I'd also hate to still have them on my soul when I meet the Father. There is great opportunity for him to become a better and braver man.

Yes Teresa, my sentiments exactly. How God must love that priest!

Teresa and Ms. McKenzie,

I suppose having one's sins held out for all to see IS a sort of "cleansing fire." It is also the end of his public ministry.

An act of God? Perhaps. Perhaps the priest was on his way to worse things and this was a direct intervention in his life to short-circuit that pathway to hell.

I don't think we missed that point but I am not glorying in the misery and loss of others either. I don't know about you but there are an awful lot of things in my life that I would fear to have revealed to the world.

For so many of us, we seek justice for others and mercy for ourselves. We get a strange pleasure from seeing the usually unseen hand of God in bringing the sins of others to light. And yet, we go to such great lengths to hide our own sins from even our closest companions.

So, while it may be that God intervened directly in this case, I am far more concerned with the fact that a man sits alone tonight, knowing that he has humiliated himself, embarrassed his parishioners, brought scandal to the Church, and damaged the faith of at least some of those who looked up to him.

That, my friends, is nothing less than a tragedy.

Maybe his screen saver will turn out to be a soul saver too, if he repents as a result of this disclosure.

Many people still believe that only a small minority of the ordained Catholic clergy are active homosexuals.

What is your point? One is too many.

Reddog,

You're thinking of erstwhile submariners trapped in frustrating marriages to decrepit teachers. But your point stands.

Ouch. All around. Praying.

Diogenes:

Not so decrepit and she's a feeder.

So, Lyman's taking a "Leave of Absence for reasons of health." Yeah, moral health. Maybe he can recover a little shame to boot!