Catholic Priest Openly Comes Out As Gay, Receives Standing Ovation From The Worshippers (Details, pics)

A Roman Catholic priest in Milwaukee has come out as gay, saying he could no longer live in the shadows of secrecy and wants to stand out as a gay man.

The Rev. Gregory Greiten of St. Bernadette Catholic church here said he was breaking the silence of gay men in the clergy so he could reclaim his own voice.

"I am Greg. I am a Roman Catholic priest. And, yes, I am gay!” he told worshipers Sunday. He received a standing ovation.

While gay men do serve as priests, rarely does priest to come out to his parishioners in this way. Church theology teaches that acting upon homosexuality is a sin. All priests take a vow of celibacy.

In announcing his identity as a gay man, Greiten chastised the Catholic Church for its stance on homosexuality.

Greiten wrote that he stands with the “few courageous priests who have taken the risk to come out of the shadows and have chosen to live in truth and authenticity.”

Whether Greiten will face any consequences for his admission likely will depend on Milwaukee’s archbishop, the Most Rev. Jerome Listecki.