This editorial appeared in The Miami Herald.
As scandals go, the saga of Alberto Cutie has had it all.
Celebrity, religion, clandestine photos, sexual innuendo, national TV exposure. There's been a little shock, a little awe and lots of ink and video.
On Thursday, Mr. Cutie mercifully brought it to a close. By joining the Episcopal Church and announcing plans to marry the woman to whom he has been romantically linked, the 40-year-old former Roman Catholic priest made a decision that should put an end to the story. It was, in retrospect, where the story has been heading all along. As long as Mr. Cutie refused to renounce his temporal love, he could not continue on the same spiritual path.
The Catholic Archdiocese took his action to mean that he had ex-communicated himself. It's a shame that Mr. Cutie did not reach out to the Catholic bishop to announce his intention to join the Episcopal Church. Still, his decision should bring the affair to a tidy end.
Now the archdiocese can concentrate on its more fundamental and worrisome problems – finding a way to keep struggling parishes and charities alive in a time of shrinking collections.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Miami Herald.