Many Catholics have been following this story. Summary: June 1st, during a segment on French CBC radio about Cardinal Burke, the host read an email from Fr. Andre Samson in which he said Cardinal Burke dressed like a "drag queen" because of his preference for gaudy liturgical vestments. Catholic Intelligence Blog broke the story; Vox Cantoris followed suit, and then I posted one in French.
Today, another article appeared [LINK DEFUNCT AS OF 2017/12/14], this time on the website of Radio Ville-Marie (which I imagine would have been read to their listeners across Quebec.)
The translation of that article is as follows:
A homosexual priest of the archdiocese of Ottawa was upset with the visit of Cardinal Raymond in the capital this week. André Samson said that he was gobsmacked to learn of the passage of the American cardinal on June 4th.
Professor of counseling at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa since 2003, he is "sad" and doesn't understand how a man of such "violent" statements towards gays is the guest of honour at the Gala of the 20th anniversary of a group of young Catholics, the Net Teams network.
"It's both carnavalesque and sad, this invitation to Ottawa, " he said. "It's carnavalesque because it's completely cut off from reality. And it's sad because that's not the way we will create an interest among young people for the Church and for Gospel values in general."
"But beyond the public image and the superficial vision of the individual, there's also what he says," continued the priest, who openly proclaims his homosexuality.
"The way he talks about gays and homosexuality in general... a Canadian politician with the same rhetoric would be forced to resign the next morning, " he said.
Last February, during an interview given on the French television channel France 2, Cardinal Burke declared that homosexuality is "against nature."
"What he says against homosexuality, I find that violent." A violence that not only targets gays in the general population, but also is also directed against priests and bishops. Samson reckons that many of his fellow priests and bishops are gay. "He is just as violent towards gay priests and gay bishops, and I find that sad."
"To that is added the fact that during the time of Benedict XVI, everybody was saying that everyone had to back the pope and to support him to and that we have to show cohesion. When he, presently, at least in appearance, is a sign of division."
As a professor in a secular institution with 42 000 student, he believes that the visit of Raymond Burke will have no impact on them. "On the contrary, it will attract ridicule more than anything else, " he added.
When asked to comment on the visit of Cardinal Burke, the Archbishop of Ottawa, Msgr. Terrence Prendergast "preferred not to comment for now."
