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Vatican Sacks Priest After He Comes Out As Gay

Vatican Sacks Priest After He Comes Out As Gay

The Vatican has dismissed a priest from his Holy See job after he came out as gay and called for changes in Catholic teachings against homosexual activity ahead of a major Church meeting.

Monsignor Krzystof Charamsa was removed from his position at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal arm where he had worked since 2003.

Poland-born Charamsa, 43, announced he was gay and had a partner in an Italian newspaper interview.

He later held a news conference with his partner and gay activists at a Rome restaurant. They had planned a protest in front of the Vatican but changed the venue several hours before it was due to have started.

"My decision to 'come out' is a very personal decision in the homophobic world of the Catholic church," Msgr Charamsa told journalists.

"It has been very difficult and very hard. I ask that you keep in mind this reality that is difficult to understand for anyone who has not lived through an identical passage in their own life."

The Vatican said Msgr Charamsa's dismissal had nothing to do with his comments on his personal situation, which it said "merit respect".

But it said giving the interview and the planned demonstration was "grave and irresponsible" given their timing on the eve of a synod of bishops who will discuss family issues, including how to reach out to gays.

It said his actions would subject the synod, which Pope Francis is due to open later today, to "undue media pressure".

At the news conference, Msgr Charamsa explained the timing of his announcement.

"The timing is not intended to pressurise anyone, but maybe a good pressure, in fact a Christian participation, a Christian voice that wants to bring to the synod the response of the homosexual believers to the questioning of Pope Francis," he said.

"Every homosexual person is a son of God and when (he) believes in God, the son of a church or of another Christian community, and the necessity... his dignity, necessity... his love and possibility to marriage, to be... to life with another person who loves (him).

"This is the will of God for our life, also for my life with him."