After a Dutch Catholic priest “came out” to his congregation in March, the Bishop of the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, Jos Punt, asked him to resign temporarily while disciplinary actions were sought. Netherland Times reported that Pierre Valkering “came out” during a Mass honoring his 25th anniversary of ordination.

According to the report, not only did Valkering announce his sexual orientation as homosexual, but that he was also actively having sex with other men.

Church Militant, a Catholic watchdog site, reports that after an appeal of his dismissal was granted by the Congregation for the Clergy earlier this month, the Vatican reinstated him despite his sexual misconduct.

n March, Valkering announced to his congregation during Mass that he was gay. His “coming out” coincided with the release of Standing Undressed, Not Naked, a scandalous autobiography in which he detailed years of homosexual promiscuity, including visits to gay saunas and dark rooms, as well as an addiction to pornography.

In response, in April, Bp. Punt directed Valkering to step aside as pastor of Peace Church “for the time being, and enter into a period of reflection.” But the wayward priest remained unrepentant, and in June, Punt dismissed him from ministry.

In a statement, the diocese stressed that Valkering was dismissed because he refused to live in accord with his vow of celibacy, not because of his sexual orientation. 

“The pastor could … have chosen to talk openly and honestly about his struggles with sexuality and celibacy with the bishop. Such honesty would certainly not have been punished,” the statement reads. “On the contrary, Father Valkering could have sought ways to reflect on this and receive help.”

Additionally, Bp. Punt told Dutch LGBT newspaper De Gaykrant, that “while he appreciates Valkering’s honesty and understands his struggle, he nevertheless asked him to lay down his priestly duties because the priest refuses to abide by his vow of celibacy,” noting it is “incompatible with a worthy exercise of the priesthood.”

The bishop added, “The Church understands human weakness and everyone’s personal struggle to grow in holiness, but Fr. Valkering now declares that he doesn’t even want to try and live an ordered, celibate life.”

The homosexual priest vowed to remain a Catholic priest and to continue his LGBTQ activism within the Roman Catholic Church. It appears that the Catholic Church is complicit.