Archbishop Ganswein © dpa
Prelate Krzysztof Charamsa with his partner © Luciano Del Castillo
Curia Archbishop Georg Ganswein has commented on Polish priest Krzysztof Charamsa, who has fallen out of favor with the Vatican for coming out of the closet. "I am not breaking the baton on him personally," Ganswein said in Passau.
However, he reproached him for using the eve of the Synod on the Family for his story. He also considered his accusation that the church was making life "hell" for millions of homosexuals worldwide "outrageous". Charamsa himself he knew well, Ganswein continued. After all, this was his successor as secretary at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The archbishop characterized him as a "brilliant man" as well as a "loyal, good and faithful collaborator".
Charamsa had come out in early October
The 43-year-old Charamsa had come out as homosexual with his Catalan partner in Rome in early October. He accused the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of "paranoid homophobia". As a result, he immediately lost his post at the Vatican as well as his authorization to teach at pontifical universities. Two weeks later, his home bishop in Pelplin, Poland, suspended him from his priestly duties.
He was very moved by the story, Ganswein admitted. At the same time, he defended the measures against Charamsa. "The church needs courage, clarity and unambiguity to the gospel."