A North Herefordshire clergyman, who uses magic tricks to spread his religious message, has spoken out in defence of gay priests as a row caused by the Pope’s comments on homosexuality rumbles on.
As gay groups and activists reacted angrily to Pope Benedict XVI’s claims that saving humanity from homosexual or trans-sexual behaviour must rank on the same scale as protecting the environment, Rev Mark Townsend expressed dismay at the end of year speech to staff at the Vatican.
No stranger to controversy himself, Mr Townsend, who gave up his job with the Herefordshire Diocese to carry out spiritual work with the aid of magic, explained that some of his best friends are gay Catholic and Anglican priests. “I thank God for the ministry of every one of them, and I make this point because, should either the Roman or Anglican church ever succeed in eliminating all gay men and women from the ranks of the clergy – well, I’m afraid large areas of the church would cease to exist, for there would be no-one left to serve them,” he stated.
The former team ministry leader, who was vicar at Leominster Priory Church for eight years, makes it clear the views are his own, and not those of the Church of England or Hereford Diocese.
“I do not speak for them. I speak as a flawed and imperfect ex-vicar, with pagan leanings, who still loves the church but hates its exclusivity,” he said.
He believed Pope Benedict did not intend his remarks to be ‘re-expressed’ the way they were. “But even if you water it down, to see homosexuality as such a threat to the institution of the church boggles the mind,” he said. “What a ‘wonderful’ message from the world’s most prominent church leader!”
The UK Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement called the Pope’s remarks “irresponsible and unacceptable”.
Mr Townsend said: “I have been a priest for 10 years, and over the course of that period, have had the privilege of getting to know some truly wonderful clergy ,Roman, Anglican and Protestant, and an enormous percentage of them are gay. I have been taught by them, trained alongside them, worked with them, been absolved by them, laughed with them and cried with them.
“Surely our founder, the one who’s birthday we have just celebrated, taught that love, rather than judgement is the way?”
