Franklin Graham Defends the Vatican's Decision to Fire Gay Priest

Outspoken evangelist Christian leader Franklin Graham is chastising a fired gay Catholic priest for criticizing the church as homophobic.

In a Facebook post, the son of the famed preacher Billy Graham staunchly defended the decision to boot the priest, Krzysztof Charamsa, from his job at the Vatican after he came out as gay on the eve of a synod of the world's bishops to discuss church outreach to gays, divorcees and more traditional Catholic families.

"Firing the gay priest was the right thing for the Catholic Church to do," writes Graham, who heads the foundation named after his father and is leader of the global charity, Samaritan's Purse.

"The priest said in a press conference that his coming out was a 'difficult and tough decision in the church's homophobic world.'" Graham adds.

"I have news for everyone — believing what God's Word says about homosexuality is not homophobic."
Charamsa told the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza he was motivated to publicly come out because of hate mail he got after criticizing a right-wing Polish priest who is strongly anti-gay.

"I have to say who I am. I am a gay priest. I am a happy and proud gay priest," he told Gazeta Wyborcza.

Graham writes, however, "one should not be 'happy and proud' to go against God's will, His laws, and His very design for creation."

Related Stories:

• Pope Asserts Marriage Is Between a Man and a Woman at Start of Family Meeting
• 'St. Pat's Parade Allows Second LGBT Group to March