Well, at least he himself was just using grindr with consenting adults. Hopefully, at least.
I have a problem with people attacking gays or straights for wanting love. I don't care what your religion or organization is.
Saying 'If he had sex, he's immoral and should resign as priest and the religious order' is consciously or unconsciously issuing a homophobic attack because it was Grindr for gay sex with a man. If it was a man that had sex with an adult woman, no one would care, The Pillar wouldn't have publicized the data findings, this wouldn't be an article on arstechnica, and you wouldn't care either. Also Priesthood isn't a job you leave. It isn't a job, it's for life.
I grew up in the church. I have friends in the church. I know a lot of priests and I knew a lot of gay priests. There are a lot of good people there.
If none of that was good enough to change your tack, you will N E V E R defeat the church, and people need/want it. The're the single biggest land real-estate owners in the world with 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2019. Money is power and this scandal will blow over, they are on a long-term plan. You can help the church evolve to a kinder organization; kinder to its priests and its parishioners.
Personally, I don't like church, it's not for me. Deep down everyone knows right and wrong, and existence a god doesn't help answer any questions I have. The idea of heaven allows people to think there is something better after. There isn't.
This priest is paid through donations from believers, yet actively engaged in behaviors that are abhorrent to the church. If nothing else, it's immoral, and he should have removed himself from that role long ago
This is bigotry plain and simple. It’s the ‘gayness’ the church has a problem with.
Saying 'If he had sex, he's immoral and should resign as priest and the religious order' is consciously or unconsciously issuing a homophobic attack because it was Grindr for gay sex with a man. If it was a man that had sex with an adult woman, no one would care, The Pillar wouldn't have publicized the data findings, this wouldn't be an article on arstechnica, and you wouldn't care either. Also Priesthood isn't a job you leave. It isn't a job, it's for life. There nothing to go to after.
It would be like saying ‘if you smoke pot, you are “actively engaged in behaviors that are abhorrent to the“… country because it’s listed as a Schedule I substance, federally banned, so you should leave and go to another country. No I won’t. Will stay here smoke my pot, thumb my nose at you and change the laws. And we did, we’ll change the church too.
Its worth noting that central to the attack on him was that despite their being no indication of any kind that his use of grindr was anything but with consenting adults, it nevertheless (because apps like Grindr are sometimes uses by predators) raised the issue that he might be soft on predators.