Georgetown Gay ‘Marriage’ Activist Lost Priestly Faculties
blog.cardinalnewmansociety.org/2012/09/12/georgetown-gay-marriage-activist-lost-priestly-faculties/
Father Joseph Palacios, the Georgetown University professor and activist for same-sex “marriage” who has long been on The Cardinal Newman Society’s radar, is reportedly an “inactive” priest without faculties, according to a report from The National Catholic Register.
Fr. Palacios co-founded the advocacy group Catholics for Equality. The Register reports:
“I’m a gay man and a celibate gay priest,” said Father Palacios, who is on inactive status at the request of Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez.
Though his organization begins with “Catholics,” Father Palacios is quick to point out that he does not represent himself as a priest while working for same-sex “marriage.” He claims a high level of respect for Archbishop Gomez, however.
“My inactive status was mutually agreed to during a meeting with Archbishop Gomez in June of this year,” Father Palacios told the Register. “We agreed that I would stay on inactive status as long as I am politically active.”
In a statement issued to the Register, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles elaborated on the status of Father Palacios.
“He is on inactive leave without faculties. He should not be wearing a Roman collar, should not be celebrating Mass, nor may he present himself as a priest in public,” explained Tod Tamberg, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Though Father Palacios is an inactive priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, he teaches Latin American Studies at Georgetown University, a Jesuit institution in the Archdiocese of Washington. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, has stated publicly that Catholics for Equality is not a legitimate Catholic organization.