Vatican Fires Gay Priest on Eve of Meeting of World's Bishops to Discuss Outreach to Gays, Others

VATICAN CITY (TheBlaze/AP) — The Vatican has fired a monsignor who came out as gay on the eve of a big meeting of the world's bishops to discuss church outreach to gays, divorcees and more traditional Catholic families.

Monsignor Krzyzstof Charamsa was a mid-level official in the Vatican's doctrine office. In newspaper interviews published in Italy and Poland Saturday, Charamsa said he was happy and proud to be a gay priest, and was in love with a man whom he identified as his boyfriend.

Coming out of monsignor Krzysztof #Charamsa "I'm #gay and I have a partner" #coraggio https://t.co/dZS8HtjxmP

— Hedwig Zeedijk (@hedzed) October 3, 2015

In a statement Saturday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Charamsa's public statements were "serious and irresponsible" coming on the eve of the synod and that he could no longer continue working at the Vatican or its pontifical universities.

Despite his dismissal, Charamsa remains a priest.

During Pope Francis’ trip to the U.S., he reportedly held a private meeting with a gay couple just one day before meeting with defiant Kentucky clerk Kim Davis and her husband.

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