Pastor quits over
church's antigay stance

The pastor of a Mesa, Ariz., church has quit in protest of the Roman Catholic Church's tougher stand against gays in the priesthood. The Reverend Leonard Walker's departure comes before the Vatican's formal release of a document expressly barring gay men from entering seminaries. "This new Vatican document says we're not fit to serve," Walker said. "How could I, with any integrity, continue to serve when they take this kind of hostile and aggressive position?" said Walker, who is gay. Walker said his own sexuality is not the issue. Instead, he said, it is the dignity of the many gays who have worked in and continue to responsibly serve the church. "In my 31 years as a priest, the church has always had a position against homosexuality and that kind of stuff, but it never got this assertive, this aggressive," Walker said. Even if the new policy focuses on screening males who apply to Catholic seminaries and not gays already serving, Walker said he couldn't stay silent as the policy takes effect. The Vatican document, whose contents were first revealed more than a week ago, says that "the church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called gay culture." Diocesan spokeswoman Mary Jo West said Walker never broached the issue in a letter to the chancery in mid November in which he said he "wanted to resign for personal reasons, to take time away from his ministry for personal discernment." Walker said he is officially taking a leave of absence from diocesan work but resigning as pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church, whose congregation includes about 1,200 families. He said he plans to begin work at a hospice. (AP)