Married ex-Catholic Miami priest calls fatherhood an 'incredible experience'

From The New York Daily News-

He’s a holy father!

The priest who sparked a scandal in Miami’s Catholic community after getting caught kissing a woman is now dishing about his life as a different kind of “Father” figure.

Rev. Alberto Cutié was defrocked after paparazzi snapped photos of him cuddling with his bikini-clad girlfriend on a Miami beach in May 2009. More than five years later, he’s happily married to that woman and is the proud dad of two young children — 2-year-old Albert and 3-year-old Camilla.

The dad also has a 19-year-old stepson, Christian, from his wife’s first marriage.
In a recent in interview with Oprah TV’s “Where Are They Now?" Cutié said that married life has been a “blessing.”

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/married-ex-catholic-priest-dishes-life-father-article-1.1885694#ixzz392qQwklq

Alberto Cutié, Priest Who Broke His Celibacy Vow, Gives Update On His Life Today

From Huffington- (With Video)

Five years ago, Rev. Alberto Cutié was one of the country's popular Roman Catholic priests. He hosted Spanish-language television and radio talk shows, was highly respected among parishioners in his community, and had even earned the nickname "Father Oprah." Then, a few photographs changed everything.

In May of 2009, Cutié found himself in the center of a frenzy when tabloids published photos of him kissing and embracing a woman at a Miami beach. The pictures sent shockwaves through Miami's Catholic community and Cutié, having broken his vow of celibacy, was quickly removed from his South Beach parish. He asked the Archdiocese of Miami for some time to think about his future in the priesthood.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/29/alberto-cutie-father-oprah_n_5630233.html

Father Alberto Cutié Doesn't Believe Catholic Church Will Take Up Issue of Celibacy

From South Florida-

Father Alberto Cutié, who left the Catholic Church after a scandal stemming from a photo of him on Miami Beach in an embrace with his girlfriend, said he doesn't believe the notion of priesthood celibacy will be taken up by the church anytime soon.

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski echoed the sentiment on Wednesday too, and said that like marriage, celibacy takes discipline, prayer and dedication.

"In the life of the church celibacy an marriage compliment each other and are not in any way competing with each other," Wenski said.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state of the Vatican, said the church is open to discussion about the idea of priesthood celibacy being revisited. Pope Francis just last year said he was in favor of maintaining the tradition “for the moment.”

More here-

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Father-Alberto-Cutie-Doesnt-Believe-Catholic-Church-Will-Take-Up-Issue-of-Celibacy-223364771.html

Padre Alberto baptizes second son in Miami

From Miami-

The Rev. Alberto Cutie, a prominent Catholic priest who converted to the Episcopal Church amid a scandal of compromising photos showing him with his mistress, baptized his second son this weekend in Miami, according to People en Español magazine.

Alberto Felipe is the second child of Alberto and Ruhama Cutie. Their daughter, Camila Victoria, was born last year.

While still in the Catholic Church, the Rev. Cutie hosted radio and television programs as "Padre Alberto."

The baptism of Alberto Felipe Cutie took place this Sunday at the Church of the Resurrection in Biscayne Park.

Other family members, friends and more than 100 of the faithful from the church congregation attended a ceremony during which, the magazine said on its Web site, the priest kissed Alberto Felipe tenderly beside the baptismal font and raised the baby over his head to show him off to the congregation.

Read more:

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/07/16/padre-alberto-baptizes-second-son-in-miami/#ixzz20sVhFPZJ

Albert Cutié: It's time to talk about sex at church - and marriage for clergy

From CNN-

I remember one of the stories shared about an old, revered Cuban pastor in the most popular Roman Catholic parish in Little Havana, near downtown Miami. He was often recognized as an outstanding local hero in the first stop for thousands of Cuban refugees, an area that is now home to thousands of Central American immigrants who also seek a better life in the United States.

One afternoon in the old dark church, 100 or so 7- to 12-year olds from the religious instruction classes known as “catecismo” were preparing to make their Lenten confession. The priest went through a list of the commandments and asked the children to think of any sins they may have committed so they could mention them once they sat face to face with a priest.

He spoke on each commandment for about 10 to 15 minutes. When he got to “You shall not commit adultery," he simply stated, “No hagan cositas feas” - don’t do ugly or dirty things. That was it. The explanation or reflection that had to do with sex lasted less than 15 seconds.

But let’s not blame the old monsignor for his curt approach. When it comes to sex, many Latinos still consider it a taboo subject, especially when there’s a religious component involved. We have the spiciest media, telenovelas, magazines and are perceived as less “prude” than our Anglo counterparts. But when it comes to religion and sexuality, we prefer not to connect the two - and never let them touch. We simply do not feel comfortable talking or dealing openly with sex and religion.

More here-

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/12/opinion-albert-cutie-its-time-to-talk-about-sex-at-church-and-marriage-for-clergy/

Albert Cutié: Preaching the Latino gospel in the United States

From CNN-

Albert Cutié is an Episcopal cleric and former Roman Catholic priest known as Padre Alberto or "Father Oprah." He is the author of the memoir, "Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love" and hosted the talk show "Father Albert."

By Albert Cutié, Special to CNN

In South Florida, every time a politician at the state or federal level aspires to attract the Latino vote, they come to a famous landmark restaurant on Little Havana’s Southwest Eighth Street. It’s called Versailles, and they come to drink the infamous cafecito, a Cuban-style espresso that is served at a window counter in front of the restaurant. It’s designed for those who prefer to stand outside and talk about world news and politics, rather than sitting down in a comfortable, air-conditioned cafe.

Regardless of what party or political inclination these people represent, getting acquainted with the Miami community begins with drinking the famous miniature cup of coffee and talking to folks who have made it part of their daily routine for decades. In the world of politics, there is no doubt that reaching Latinos - the largest minority in the United States - has become a priority for most. Yet, when it comes to many churches, especially our mainstream religious communities in the United States, I often wonder if we’ve truly started to make a sincere effort at reaching out to Latinos effectively?

More here-

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/30/albert-cutie-preaching-the-latino-gospel-in-the-united-states/

Alberto Cutie: Post-Catholic Padre

From Miami-

What's it like to have your name be forever associated with the word canoodling? Father Alberto Cutié — priest, television personality, man who doesn't mind getting a little sand in his shorts when he makes out on the beach — seems to be taking it in stride.

In case you haven't spoken to your Hola!-subscribing abuelita since spring 2009, we'll fill you in. Roman Catholic Miami padre Cutié, who rose to Latin American superstardom — and acquired the dubious nickname "Father Oprah" — by hosting a series of television and radio shows, was snapped by a Mexican tabloid photographer, well, canoodling with a woman on South Beach sands. Cutié admitted to a two-year affair with the woman, and within a month he had ditched the Archdiocese of Miami for the Episcopal Church. That beach lover — Ruhama Buni Canellis — is now his wife and mother to their new daughter.

The uproar that ensued in the meantime, including a Time magazine feature about the scandal, suddenly made the eloquent, personable, and blandly handsome priest all things to all people. To fervent supporters — who at one point defended his honor with tabernacle fisticuffs — his plight only highlighted the unrealistic and dooming Vatican finger trap that is the priest's vow of celibacy. To detractors, he was just another hypocritical priest leading a double life of sexuality. This publication opined that he "dumped Jesus for his girlfriend."

More here-

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-11-24/news/alberto-cutie-post-catholic-padre/

Father Cutié to speak at St. Benedict's Church

From South Florida-

Father Alberto Cutié, the prominent former Catholic priest who made headlines in 2009 when he was spotted on the beach with a woman, will be visiting Plantation for a free talk.

On Sept. 14, Cutié will speak at St. Benedict's Episcopal Church about leaving the Catholic Church, an experience he recounted in his book "Dilemma." He will perform the liturgy and benediction at 7 p.m. and will give his talk at 7:30 p.m.

"Some of the issues he dealt with in his book, people have dealt with in this parish," the Rev. Robert Deshaies said. "Hearing him speak might help them find a place of resolution in their personal issues."

Cutié was a well-known Catholic priest in South Florida, appearing on television and radio. The spotlight fell on him for a very different reason, however, when photos surfaced of Cutié kissing a woman at the beach and in bars. He left the church in 2009 and married the woman, Ruhama Buni Canellis. The two have a 9-month-old daughter, Camila.

More here-

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/plantation/fl-pf-cutie-0831-20110831,0,1277306.story

Father Albert Cutie to Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony: Don't Rush into a New Situation

From Fox-

Father Albert Cutié knows all about marriage. The Catholic-turned-Episcopal priest, who married his long term clandestine girlfriend, Ruhama Buni Canellis, after paparazzi snapped photos of them sun bathing on South Beach, says he thinks Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony should take “time to process the pain” of their failed seven year marriage.

“The fact is divorce is like a loss,” Cutié told Fox News Latino exclusively. “You experience the same thing as if you lose a loved one. There’s a grieving process that requires time and healing.”

Father Oprah, as he is called due to his newly released talk show, recalls how distraught he felt upon learning that Lopez and Marc Anthony were calling it quits.

“I was sad for them,” Cutié told Fox news Latino exclusively. “Their family and relationship stability is always at play… in more vulnerable situations than your typical couple because of their lifestyle.”

Cutié adds that he believes J.Lo and Marc “are seeking to have a normal life like any other couple and a normal marriage,” he stresses what has helped him and his wife get through the hard times.


Read more:

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2011/07/21/father-albert-cutie-to-jennifer-lopez-marc-anthony-dont-run-into-new-situation/#ixzz1SpZkjup5

Big day for summer debuts

From Tampa Bay-

Don't let the white collar and priestly garb throw you. "Father Albert" is not a religious talk show.

"Anyone who watches it for a few minutes will see that," says Father Albert Cutie, a former Catholic priest who is now an Episcopal minister for a Miami church.

He says his show may be inspirational and uplifting, and it's open to all topics. Like Oprah Winfrey, he'll be helping people deal with issues and dilemmas. In fact, he's been called "Father Oprah."

Father Albert, 42, enjoyed a successful 12-year run with a secular talk show on Telemundo.

He's being given a summer run on Fox-owned stations such as WTVT, Channel 13, which debuts his show at 11 a.m. today.

Cutie (pronounced Koo-Tee-Ay), says he has lived through some personal dilemmas himself, such as the scandal that caused him to leave the Catholic Church.

More here-

http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2011/jul/11/MENEWSO2-big-day-for-summer-debuts-ar-243107/

Father Albert's new daytime talk show aims to help people, not exploit personal problems

From The New York Daily News-

Father Alberto Cutié knows something about personal problems, and he figures that will come in handy when he hosts a new daytime talk show.

Cutié was a Catholic priest who left the church in 2009 because he fell in love with a woman. Now married and an Episcopal priest in Florida, Cutié figures having gone through his own struggles will help guests and viewers of "Father Albert."

"I think I'm able to kind of tell them, you know what, you'll be able to get over this," says Cutié, whose show launches Monday at noon on WNYW/Ch. 5. "That's when I pull out that card and say I've been able to overcome and you will overcome it, too."

Cutié was ordained in 1995 and discovered a talent for being media-savvy. Soon, he was hosting Spanish-language radio and TV shows, where he helped people with everyday problems. The new daytime show, in English, is a return to a role he had for a long time before his personal life became a national issue.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2011/07/08/2011-07-08_cutieacutes_more_than_just_a_father_figure.html#ixzz1RW8O8id6

'Father Albert' not typical talk show

From Arizona-

A few things separate the new talk show "Father Albert" from other daytime fare. Most notably, the host is a cleric who knows his way around controversy.

Two years ago, the Rev. Alberto Cutie watched his life become gossip fodder when photos of the Catholic priest cavorting on the beach with his girlfriend surfaced in a Spanish-language magazine.

Now happily married to the woman in the photos and a priest in the Episcopal Church, Cutie obviously knows something about surviving personal storms.

"This isn't a Dr. Phil or a Dr. Oz," says Cutie, whose show premieres Monday. "I'm not a judge or a lawyer or a doctor. I'm someone who is going to listen to problems, someone who understands the power of compassion. And when people come speak to me, they know they're speaking with someone who has had their own dilemma."

Read more:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2011/07/05/20110705cutie0705.html#ixzz1REBrWZll

Father Albert Cutie: June 23

From New York (with video)

Father Albert Cutie is gearing up for the debut of his new show, Father Albert, beginning July 11 at Noon on FOX 5.

Good Day New York asked the Episcopal priest on Thursday to weigh in on the gay marriage legalization debate in Albany.

"The language (of the Marriage Equality Act) is the problem right now. Churches are afraid, are they going to be legally bound (to perform same-sex marriages)? As for the Roman Catholic Church (of which Father Cutie left when he decided to marry a woman,) the reason (it is opposed to same sex marriage) is that it believes marriage between a man and a woman is part of natural law and it cannot be changed," said Father Cutie.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/father-albert-cutie-june-23-20110623

"Father Oprah" gets TV talk show, Minneapolis among test markets

From Minneapolis-

The Rev. Alberto Cutie, a former Roman Catholic priest who dramatically departed from the church to get married and continue his priestly ministry in the Episcopal faith, now has his own television talk show.

Minneapolis is among the test markets for “Father Albert," which premieres July 11 for a 5-week test run on six Fox-owned stations, including KMSP. It will be a daily, hour-long show during its test run and airs at 1 p.m.

The show features Cutie’s comments on various topics and current events, in-depth interviews and special guests.

In 1999, Cutie gained recognition as the first priest to host a secular daytime talk show with the popular “Padre Alberto” on the Telemundo network and, three years later, Telemundo International’s weekly talk show, “America en Vivo.”

His self-help book, “Real Life, Real Love,” became a Spanish-language market best-seller and earned him the nickname of “Father Oprah.”

He left the Catholic Church in May 2009 over ideological differences and to marry the woman he loved. They wed in the Episcopal Church, where Cutié now serves as a priest, and celebrated the birth of their daughter in December 2010.

More here-

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/122868978.html

An Episcopal Double Standard?

From New Jersey-

On Monday, April 25th, former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who admitted his homosexuality and marital infidelity and resigned his office in 2004, was denied admittance to the Episcopal priesthood. McGreevey, a former Catholic who “switched collars” after being forced out of the closet, completed his theological studies at Manhattan's General Theological Seminary in 2007. Though McGreevey graduated last spring with a master's in divinity, the Episcopal Church has not readily embraced him.

According to the NYPost.com, a source at the Episcopal Diocese of Newark denied McGreevey was rejected because the former governor is gay. Reportedly wary of McGreevey's sudden defection to the Episcopal faith, church leaders suspected the former governor of seeking a clerical “cover” through which to re-invent himself. The unnamed source explained the reason for McGreevey's deferral: “It was not (because of) being gay,” the source stated. “but for being a jackass.”

Nicely put, indeed, but do I detect a bit of hypocrisy here?

In 2009, Father Alberto Cutie, a Catholic priest in Miami, admitted to an ongoing affair with a woman after a newspaper published photographs of the two cavorting on a public beach. Father Cutie resigned from the Catholic Church amid great publicity and scandal and promptly joined the Episcopal Church, despite being an admitted liar shamelessly navigating the talk show circuit.

Father Cutie and Jim McGreevey share similarities. Both led secret lives while engaged in clandestine affairs. Both broke sacred vows. Both were in leadership positions in the public eye. Both were forced to admit their ugly transgressions. Both sought refuge in the Episcopal Church - where their similarity ends. The Episcopal Church threw open its doors to Father Cutie, yet shut McGreevey out.

More here-

http://www.ahherald.com/columns-mainmenu-28/armchair-critic/10863-an-episcopal-double-standard

Father Albert Cutie to discuss Catholic celibacy requirement

From Orlando-

Father Albert Cutie's upcoming talks just happened to fall on Lent, he says. But he adds that it's a good time for reflection and "transformation" — like his newsmaking shift from Catholic priest to married Episcopal priest.

"The news [media] reports in a negative way, but I always saw beyond the storm, to the liberating hand of God on my life," Cutie, once the best-known Catholic in South Florida, said as he prepared to speak at two local churches in the next week. "I'm a better human being now. I don't have to hide something that is good and God-given."

Cutie, 41, will speak Thursday at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Boca Raton. He'll then speak Tuesday at St. Mark the Evangelist in Fort Lauderdale. The topic for both talks is "Dilemma," the title of his new book on the clash of his priestly celibacy with his love for a woman.

That conflict burst into public view in 2009, when paparazzi caught him at a beach with a divorced mother named Ruhama Canellis, whom he later married. The photos led to his exit from the Catholic Church and into the Episcopal Church.

More here-

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/fl-father-cutie-20110406,0,3288232.story

Alberto Cutié, the Father who became a father

From Palm Beach-

Camila Victoria Cutié was born with her eyes open.

They're a steely blue, like her father's.

Her father, the priest.

His eyes were the first thing she saw when she was born two months ago. Now, their eyes meet again as Alberto Cutié kisses her on the forehead, gives his wife, Ruhama, a quick peck on the lips and rushes off to say Mass on a recent Sunday at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in north Miami .

Later, they will gather with his family across town to celebrate the two months since his daughter's birth. A pair of paparazzi will follow them, at a distance, with video cameras.

Life has never been the same for The Rev. Alberto Cutié, the former Roman Catholic priest, since that infamous day on the beach almost two years ago when paparazzi caught him kissing the woman who would become his wife. And that, as it turns out, is a good thing.

"When I was 17, I expected something very different from life than when I turned 41," he says, as he dresses in a cream-colored vestment in a room behind the altar. "You have to give yourself permission in life to change your mind."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/alberto-cutie-the-father-who-became-a-father-1262990.html

Father Alberto Cutie to Host Daily TV Talk Show About Life Issues

From The Hollywood Reporter-


The tone of the talk show biz, and of NATPE itself, shifted Tuesday when a priest decided to take the plunge into the rough-and-tumble first-run syndie fray.

Father Alberto Cutie, a bestselling author of self-help books and radio talk show host as well as a former Roman Catholic priest, will join the ranks of gabbers and host a daily syndie strip devoted to life matters.

"It'll be everything from sex to salvation," Father Alberto told The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday in Miami during the NATPE TV trade show.

Hopefully it'll invite "greater dialog" with the audience, he added. Sorta Oprah meets Dr. Phil meets Bishop Sheen, the only other religious personnage who ever fronted a national TV show. (And that was in the 1950s!)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/father-alberto-cutie-host-daily-75511

Father Cutie talks about his new book

From Fox (with video)

Caught between faith and confronted with true love, Miami's Father Alberto Cutie was fighting an inner battle that he wasn't winning when photos were snapped of him kissing a woman in his parish a couple of years ago on a Miami beach.

Since then Father Cutie left the Catholic Church, has married, become a father and is now an Episcopal priest. He's telling his story in his new book called "Dilemma."

Father Cutie joined us on Good Day Wednesday to tell us about it.

More here-

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/faith_news/011211-father-cutie-talks-about-his-new-book

Fla. ex-Catholic priest writes of his romance

From USA Today:

A former Catholic priest from Miami who left the church after photos surfaced of him kissing his then-girlfriend is criticizing church leaders in a new book and calling their stance on priests' romantic relationships hypocritical.
Alberto Cutie— dubbed "Father Oprah" by the English-language media for his relationship advice — left the Roman Catholic Church in 2009 to become an Episcopal priest.

FAITH & REASON: Cutie's Catholic exit cheered for two reasons
Paparazzi photos of Cutie kissing Ruhama Buni Canellis, whom he later married, caused such a media frenzy that CNN en Espanol broadcast his announcement to leave the church on live TV, and one Miami Spanish-language TV station cut into its regular programming to report the news. Cutie, who now heads the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Biscayne Park, and his wife have a daughter, Camila.

Cutie details his once-secret relationship and speaks candidly about his former church in a new book, "Dilemma: A Priest's Struggle with Faith and Love."

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-01-04-married-priest-Catholic04_ST_N.htm?csp=34news