Tensions within the Catholic Church over reports of Grindr’s use among priests | Revelations from conservative Catholic blog The Pillar

Reports published by a conservative Catholic blog threaten to undermine the foundations of the Catholic Church. From the analysis of cell phone data, The Pillar concluded that Priests from different levels of the Catholic hierarchy used the Grindr gay dating app.

The Pillar published a series of surveys which were then reproduced by various means, including The New York Times. The first article leads to the resignation of Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, former secretary general of the United States Conference of Bishops. Burrill was responsible for coordinating the church’s response to allegations of sexual abuse against U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, which came to light in June 2018.

The second pillar report, published online a few days later, mentions the use of Grindr by people whose names were not mentioned in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. The third indicates that in 2018, at least 32 mobile devices broadcast app data signals from areas of Vatican City which tourists do not have access to.

The investigations have put church officials in a difficult position. Priests take a vow of celibacy which is by no means flexible, and downloading or using dating apps is incompatible with this choice. Grindr users, which touts itself as “the world’s largest dating network for gay, bisexual, trans and queer people,” create a profile with their partner’s preferences and receive notifications when another user is found. near.

The father Bob Bonnot, executive director of the American Association of Catholic Priests, told the New York Times that the use of cell phone data to track Bishop Burrill’s movement has deepened the sense of vulnerability felt by many priests. “It can be terribly threatening,” Bonnot said, adding: “It can make any priest uncomfortable and worried.”.

For his part, the Cardinal of Newark, Joseph tobin, said in a Zoom panel hosted by Georgetown University: “If someone who has taken a vow of celibacy or chastity has a dating app on their phone, they’re looking for trouble.” Vatican officials have confirmed meeting with representatives of The Pillar in June, although they will not publicly respond to their reports.

Catholic community website editors JD Flynn and Ed Condon said in a podcast that their work sought to uncover a secret story of inappropriate behavior. “Illegal and immoral sexual behavior on the part of clerics who are obliged to observe celibacy could lead to a wide tolerance for any type of sexual sin “, insured Flynn.