Father Alberto Cutié joins Episcopal churchThe Rev. Alberto Cutié, the celebrity priest removed from his Miami Beach church after photos of him kissing and embracing a woman appeared in the pages of a Spanish-language magazine earlier this month, has left the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami to join the Episcopal church and announced that he will marry the woman he has dated for two years.
Joining him in becoming an Episcopalian was the woman in the photos, Ruhama Buni Canellis, 35.
The small, private ceremony happened at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Cathedral, the church's South Florida headquarters in downtown Miami.
Cutié, dressed in a white dress shirt, a black jacket and black dress pants, sat smiling beside his fiancé during the half-hour ceremony. Priests and deacons from the Episcopal church were by his side -- many notably accompanied by their wives.
Bishop Leo Frade, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, officiated as Cutié and Canellis knelt in front of the bishop and were received into the Episcopal church.
The bishop also gave Cutié special status as a lay minister, meaning he can preach in Episcopal churches but not celebrate the Eucharist, the symbolic body and blood of Christ.
Cutie will give his first sermon as an Episcopalian 10 a.m. Sunday at the Church of The Resurrection in Biscayne Park. It will take Cutié at least a year to be certified as an Episcopal priest.
Read the rest here ... (who SAYS the Episcopal Church isn't growing??? :)
Congratulations to Father Cutie and his girlfriend, Ruhama as they join the Episcopal Church!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad he and his girlfriend no longer have to hide their clandestine relationship -- it must be a huge relief to both of them. They no longer have to live a lie.
Did they mention why they chose the Episcopal Church over other Christian Denominations? It would be intersting to hear their thoughts on this.
Welcome Cutie! 'nuff said?
ReplyDeleteI was at a clergy conference recently. At our table of 8 clergy, I was the only one who wasn't a former RC, and I can think of 3 others in our Dio. who also swam the Tiber. Bp Frade's response re: scripture is on point - no rational reason why priests shouldn't marry
ReplyDeleteTwo words for the Roman bishop and his outrage -
ReplyDeleteUP
YOURS!
Come on Susan, where's the picture of HER????????
ReplyDeleteSheesh, yesterday you have a nice picture of the mayor without Mirthala, and now a huge picture of another nice-looking guy. If you keep this up, we're gonna have to start wondering about you...
;->
Why should it take a year for him to be recognized as what he already is---a priest forever. I read the canons and they are unreasonable in requiring a waiting period. While this may be appropriate in some situations, the canons should give the Bishop the discretion to expedite the process where pastorally appropriate.
ReplyDeleteAh John, very nice ecumenical gesture there!
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