In 2011, Father Gary Meier wrote about his experience as a gay priest anonymously.
Last week, he re-issued the book with his name:
A passage from the book reads:
In the end it became clear that I could not be both gay and a priest – that is, I could not live as a gay priest which means living in silence while publicly pretending to support the hierarchy's teachings on homosexuality.
The back cover of the memoir:
Fr. Meier posted on his personal webpage:
On May 23, 2013, I will be celebrating my 15 year anniversary to the priesthood as a catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, MO. On the eve of this anniversary, I have released the 2nd edition of my book "Hidden Voices, Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest" which was originally published anonymously in 2011. The second edition is now available, and has one main difference -- it is no longer anonymous. The decision to release the book under my name was not an easy one to make but one I felt was necessary.
It has been difficult to remain part of a hierarchy that has been so hostile towards homosexuals in recent years. This is especially true considering nearly 30% of all successful teenage suicides are attributed to sexual identity issues. Our church once stood for and represented the radical nature of God's love for all people. That is not the true today -- especially towards the LGBT community and therefore I feel compelled to stand in solidarity with those Catholic's who have lost their jobs, have been denied the sacraments, have been excommunicated or who have been made to feel "less than" by their church leaders because of who they love.
Since coming out, Fr. Meier has received support and praise on his Facebook page.
He has since spoken out on his feelings regarding the Catholic Church and LGBT issues:
Watch his full video:
View this video on YouTube
H/T:Towleroad