In high Mass, a priest acknowledged his homosexuality and criticized the "silent culture" of the Church on homosexuality

The diocese of Haarlem asked a gay priest of Amsterdam, Pierre Valkering, that he temporarily leaves the priesthood after openly announcing his homobaduality at last Sunday's Mbad during which he also celebrated his 25th birthday at the church of La Paz.

Valkering, 57, concluded Sunday Mbad with a speech about what he called "The big pink elephant" from the Catholic Church and he made it dressed in a pink tunic, something that did not attract attention at first, because that is the color corresponding to the fourth Sunday of Lent.

In a videotaped speech, the priest criticized "silent culture" of the Church around homobaduality and regretted "having suffered a lot for that".

In addition, he told several stories about his homobadual life, including his visits to special saunas for homobaduals, which, according to the diocese of Haarlem, calls into question the fact that he respected celibacy obligatory and obliges him to relinquish his pastoral functions. the Peace Church of Amsterdam.

In a statement, the diocese considered that, having "stated in public unequivocally that he had not kept his promise of celibacy" and that badual liberties are allowed, give an example "incompatible with the Roman Catholic Church".

The pastor also referred to a recent study by French sociologist Frédéric Martel, who confirmed – from interviews with priests – that a large part of the clergy in the Vatican is homobadual.

Valkering believes that "More gay men than heterobaduals opt for the priesthood" because it's a "escape option for his homobaduality and a denial and repression of his badual orientation".

According to the Dutch TV NOS, Valkering's homobaduality was already known in a restricted circle, especially after he had tried in 2016, unsuccessfully, to organize a "Ship of world religion" at the Gay Pride Day cruises parade in Amsterdam.