On Friday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez continued to report on a scandal involving Miami priest Alberto Cutie despite admitting that he was "...a family friend whom I've known for many, many years" on Thursday. Rodriguez introduced a Friday report by describing Cutie’s popularity: "The scandal involving celebrity priest Alberto Cutie in Miami is heating up as parishioners at his church rally in support of their popular leader. But not everyone is behind him." Correspondent Kelly Cobiella reported: "There's no doubt the parishioners' passion for the man they call ‘Father Oprah.’ Such passion that when this man dared to speak out against Father Alberto Cutie at a rally in Miami Beach Thursday -- he was swarmed."
On Thursday, Rodriguez vigorously defended her friend by asking CBS religion analyst, Father Thomas Williams, about the Catholic Church’s "rigid" and "outdated" requirement that priests take a vow of celibacy. Following the Thursday story, NewsBusters’ Scott Whitlock questioned Rodriguez on Twitter about violating journalistic ethics by her reporting on someone she knows personally. Rodriguez replied to the tweet and argued: "I respectfully disagree. If I hadn't disclosed that I know him, then it would have been a violation...but there are no secrets." Having brushed aside any concerns of bias, at the end of the Friday report, Rodriguez announced that she would be interviewing Cutie exclusively on Monday.
Whitlock later followed up on Twitter, explaining to Rodriguez: "You're friends with someone involved. You argued his case. You should have recused yourself from the piece. It's biased." Rodriguez again responded and denied any friendship existed: "Let me know after my interview with him on Monday if you think I'm biased. and I'm NOT friends with him. I know him." Once again, on Thursday Rodriguez specifically said: "Father Albert is a family friend whom I've known for many, many years."
Here is the full transcript of the Friday segment:
7:14AM TEASE:
HARRY SMITH: Still to come we'll take you to Miami where parishioners rally around a popular priest, caught in a steamy scandal.
7:19AM SEGMENT:
MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: The scandal involving celebrity priest Alberto Cutie in Miami is heating up as parishioners at his church rally in support of their popular leader. But not everyone is behind him. CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports.
[CROWD CHANTING: We love Father Alberto!]
KELLY COBIELLA: There's no doubt the parishioners' passion for the man they call 'Father Oprah.' Such passion that when this man dared to speak out against Father Alberto Cutie at a rally in Miami Beach Thursday -- he was swarmed.
[FOOTAGE OF MAN BEING KNOCKED TO THE GROUND]
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I don't talk trash -- I am saying what I feel.
COBIELLA: This is what started it all. Pictures in a Mexican celebrity magazine showing the handsome TV personality and ordained Catholic Priest in a romantic embrace with a woman. Father Cutie had talked about his struggle with the vow of celibacy just last week to a Miami TV reporter.
LOURDES RUIZ TOLEDO: And I asked him off-camera, 'would you like to be married?' And he said 'yes, I would like to be married. I would like to have children.'
COBIELLA: The archdiocese removed Cutie from his church, and he hasn't appeared publicly since the scandal broke. The archdiocese says ‘he's on a prayerful journey to decide his future.’ Kelly Cobiella, CBS News, Miami Beach.
RODRIGUEZ: On Monday, we will finally hear from Father Cutie. He will be here in studio for an exclusive interview. His first TV interview here on the Early Show on Monday.
—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Well, this certainly is an
May 8, 2009 - 14:26 ET byWell, this certainly is an insight into the mind of a journalist, is it not? Apparently Ms Rodriguez believes that as long as her bias is KNOWN it ceases to become "bias". Interesting.
Look, there's no doubt that Mr Cutie seems like a helluva guy. People love him and he's certainly done some good "works". However, the problem is deeper than that. The problem is with the false doctrine of the church to which he belongs. It is FALSE DOCTRINE to suggest that priests can't get married and is a sign that your church has adopted the teaching of DEMONS ( 1 Tim 4:1-4). Since "priests" eventually become "Bishops" and one of the REQUIREMENTS for the office of Bishop is THAT THEY BE MARRIED ( 1Tim 3:2), they are simply transgressing the laws of God with their enforced celibacy and this poor guy is paying the price. As the Lord our God said, Genesis 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Thank God he's not a homosexual. The church really needs to rethink it's commitment to BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES and put it's false doctrine behind. This includes but is not limited to their false teaching on Baptism ( acts 2:38) reception of the Holy Ghost ( acts 2:4), proper names for officials within their ranks, i.e . calling a priest "father" is BLASPHEMY ( Matt 23:9) and the idolatry of praying to anyone other than Jesus Christ.
...
May 8, 2009 - 15:09 ET by EugeniaHmm... You mean you never called your own dad "father"? Did he write down his name under "father" on your birth certificate?
Oneness
May 8, 2009 - 15:12 ET by QueenMumOneness "Pentecostal".
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
Acts, with all due respect,
May 8, 2009 - 15:21 ET by motherbeltActs, with all due respect, just because you believe something to be a false doctrine doesn't make it so.
And I for one would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from your preaching here and quit telling us Catholics that we are misled and the Catholic Church needs to conform to your your beliefs.
Even if you think it's your responsibility to enlighten those you think are in darkness, that doesn't mean shoving a lecture in everyone's face every time you have a chance.
So just cool it, would you? If this is your thing, go and start your own anti-Catholic website and preach to your heart's content.
BTW..two things:
When God said it's not good for man to be alone....Adam was literally...ALONE.
Also, married men are also tempted to adultery, even though they have wives, and some succumb to the temptation.
Does that mean fidelity to one woman doesn't work and should be discarded?
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
You know nothing of origins
May 10, 2009 - 22:31 ET by rbosqueYou know nothing of origins of Catholic Doctrine nor the Church which Christ founded. You would accuse it of having false doctrines based on your interpretation? God came down to give you a special insight? A false doctrine is one where you base your faith on your interpretation of the bible, a Catholic book. Christ founded a Church on Peter and the Church established the canon. My Church and faith are from the beginning and will continue despite your ignorant remarks.
What I can't understand is
May 8, 2009 - 14:39 ET by fitzfongWhat I can't understand is what's so special about this "priest" that he merits coverage on a national morning show. I suppose the "Fr. Oprah" monicker should give some clue. He must host some event where corporations hand out freebies to drones who, in turn, act as if "Fr. Oprah" is the benefactor.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
...
May 8, 2009 - 15:18 ET by EugeniaHe's really big in the Florida/latino community. He's had a t.v. show for years out of there. I think he's getting national coverage because, one, it shows a priest in a bad light; two, he's Rodriguez's friend/acquaintance/whatever; three, they have to fill up three, four hours of bad t.v. and they're not about to go after Obama.
The only reason to keep
May 8, 2009 - 15:41 ET by motherbeltThe only reason to keep bringing this up is that the left just love to talk about a scandal in the Catholic Church. Since most of them don't believe in celibacy, this gives them a chance to criticize the Church's stand, over and over again.
But as I said to Acts 2_38....married men are tempted to adultery and some of them give in. That doesn't mean that demanding fidelity is stupid.
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
Well Does a Relationship Stop
May 8, 2009 - 15:00 ET by allanf... Chris Cuomo from covering New Yorks crusading attorney general Andrew Cuomo.
... George Stephanopolous from covering the White House
we could go on and on.
Scott Whitlock questioned Rodriguez on Twitter about violating j
May 8, 2009 - 15:07 ET by Paul AtreidesScott Whitlock questioned Rodriguez on Twitter about violating journalistic ethics by her reporting on someone she knows personally.
I wasn't aware that she, and her peers have journalistic ethics. They dropped any pretense of that once DaWun moved into the White House.
Maggie, just go ahead and turn in that press card.
May 8, 2009 - 15:16 ET by Mike BrattonThat is, considering you had one in the first place.
Please come back to reality--this isn't The Thorn Birds.
--Mike
www.thebrattonreport...
No doubt "journalist"
May 8, 2009 - 15:34 ET by celatorNo doubt "journalist" Rodriquez is polishing up her recommendations on what Muslims, Evangelicals, Orthodox Jews, Berians, Baptists, Methodists, prosperity televangelists, UCC and Episcopalians, etc. must do to deserve her approval.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
Just a thought: If he
May 8, 2009 - 20:39 ET by soulpileJust a thought: If he wants to be married and to have children, why is he a Catholic priest?
One can still do the Lord's work and be married - if they're, say, Lutheran or any other denomination that allows it. If it's more important for him to be married, why not leave the Catholic church? Or step down as a priest (pardon, but I don't know how that would work, since I'm not Catholic). Really, he broke his vows and admits that he does not wish to keep them. So why remain a priest?
This seems like just another attack on Catholic practices, one which the media is gluttonly eating up.
I guess potential priests need legal notice of celibacy
May 8, 2009 - 21:13 ET by nkviking75When the Catholic Church runs recruitment ads for priests in the classifieds, maybe they should be required to run a legal notice specifically advising candidates that they are expected to be celibate. </sarcasm off>
In case anyone missed my point, if you want to be a priest and don't think you can handle celibacy, find another way to serve God.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Why aren't leftists critical of Buddhist monks?
May 8, 2009 - 21:19 ET by ekslibBuddhist monks are celibate
Leftists simply ADORE the Dalai Lama.
According to Time, (at http://tinyurl.com/q...), "In one picture, Cutié has a hand down her swimsuit, fondling her rear end."
Was Cutie on a public beach?
I'm guessing because
May 8, 2009 - 21:34 ET by balboaI'm guessing because Buddhist monks 1, aren't prevalent in America, 2, haven't been involved in child molesting scandals. I don't think this is being critical, necessarily, more posing the question. I think _some_ people think the church in America should change "with the times," not that that's the best idea.
You're right,
May 8, 2009 - 23:50 ET by Kelly72You're right, that's not the best idea. That's not what a church is all about. :)
As for your guesses, or more specifically the second one, I understand why you would suggest it, but it is not correct. There have indeed been molestation scandals with Buddhist monks, including quite recently. None that I know of in the USA, but several in Africa and Asia. The accounts of these incidents usually show up in tiny paragraphs somewhere toward the back of the newspaper. Get a magnifying glass or you'll miss them. :)
However, it should also be clarified that the celibacy issue really has nothing to do with molestation. Incidents of molestation are much higher among the non-celibate: teachers, physicians, counsellors, etc. All abuse is terrible, but far more attention is given to some abusers than to others. Who loses out when such things are politicized in such manner? The innocent ones, of course. It's incredibly sad.
Saying celibacy causes
May 11, 2009 - 09:28 ET by moderncommentaries83Saying celibacy causes child abuse is like saying not drinking causes alcoholism.
If celibacy were the cause of sexual abuse, we would not see sexual abuse of children in society at large because society is not bound by disciplines of celibacy.
But we do, and abuse is even more prevalent in public schools (where it's cause for celebration, if you know Mary Kay Latorneau) than it was in the Church (where it was actually ephebophilia - the abuse of adolescent boys by homosexual clergy).
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam
Update
May 11, 2009 - 09:26 ET by moderncommentaries83The priest at the center of this controversy - Fr. Alberto Cutie - comes out in defense of celibacy:
While I'm saddened that Cutie is considering leaving the priesthood, he's making a discernment and clearly understands he's in the wrong here and not a victim of the supposed oppressive ideologies of the Church.
Just thought this would deflate Rodriguez's bubble because this supposed "family friend" has now come out and made her argument against the "rigid" celibacy discipline look, well, foolish since he himself supports it!
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam