...and the issue of whether he (or any other RC priest for that matter) is celibate is between the priest and his confessor, unless an illegal activity is taking place (and I'm not referring to 'fornication' or 'adultery,' which are technically illegal in many areas but seem to be accepted behavior under current mores). I guess, for me, a priest who is not celibate but confesses and does penance is no less 'honorable' than a Roman Catholic layperson who regularly confesses to adultery to achieve the required 'state of grace' for communion, fully knowing that s/he will continue that behavior. But then I'm not Roman Catholic, so the whole idea of priestly celibacy seems archaic to me anyway.

But enough with thread creep. I believe what's being said here by several members of our community is that Fr. Mike was an honorable and brave man, period, and that his sexual orientation should not be an issue in making that statement. With that opinion I'm in total agreement.