Fallen Priest Who Broke His Celibacy Vow Opens Up About Scandal
Fallen Priest Who Broke His Celibacy Vow Opens Up About Scandal
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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 very public scandal 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.
Weeks later, Cutié left Catholicism to become an Episcopal priest. A month after that, Cutié married the woman from the beach photos, Ruhama Canellis, whom he had been secretly dating for two years before the scandal broke. In September of 2009, Cutié appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and opened up about his new married life.
"It's new, but it's actually very good because you feel like a ton of bricks was taken off your back," he told Oprah back then. "There's nothing worse than hiding something that's good. And if God is love and God calls us to love and the best life you can live is to live a life full of love, why hide it?"
"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" recently caught up with Cutié to see what has happened in the years following his marriage. The priest has since taken on another new role: dad.
"This is Albert, he's 2 years old. And Camilla's about 3-and-a-half now. And Christian is 19, going on 20. Even though he's not my biological son, he's my son in every other way," Cutié says in the above video, introducing his new family members. "So, you see we have our hands full now!"
Being a parent has given Cutié a new appreciation for his life's work. "Being a father is an incredible experience. People called me 'Father' for many years, but being a biological father and being a spiritual father are very different things," he says with a smile.
Cutié views being a married priest as a blessing and shares his big regret about the scandal. "As I look back, I wish I would have said it sooner. I wish I would have come out and done everything that I was really planning," he admits.
"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.Over the course of the last five years, Cutié also says that he has received daily letters and phone calls from other priests who are in love. "It always makes me think, 'Wow, my situation has helped someone else,'" he says. "It just fills my heart with joy... I always tell people, 'If you have something good that's in your heart that you've got to say, just say it and move on.' There's such a great, great power in learning to move on."
