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Volume CXVIII, No. XXIV |
December 15, 2005 |
Campus Ministry director says goodbye to public role
Fr. Bob Pierson, a prominent spiritual leader, resigns role in response to Vatican documents on homosexuality
The Record
Fr. Bob Pierson, the director of Campus Ministry, is resigning from his position on Jan. 15.
He announced his resignation Wednesday night in an e-mail sent to faculty, students and administrators.
"Because I can no longer honestly represent, explain and defend the church's teaching on homosexuality, I feel I must resign," Pierson said in his e-mail.
The new Vatican document, released Nov. 29, will ban certain homosexuals from entering the priesthood.
"Knowing that there could be consequences, I decided to resign rather than to come out, criticize the document and stay in campus ministry," he said in an interview today.
Today many students and the monastic community voiced their support for Pierson.
"I am sad," said St. John's Abbot John Klassen. "I think he was doing an excellent job."
As Campus Ministry Director, Pierson counseled students, presided at student Mass and organized safe zone training, a workshop that increases awareness for GLBT issues to all students on campus.
"Fr. Bob made a personal decision that was best for him," said sophomore Kevin Kingdon, a Campus Ministry member. "He's looking out for the best of the community."
Junior Shaina Crotteau has worked with Pierson on various Campus Ministry events.
"Fr. Bob is a real person," Crotteau said. "He's open to students of every background."
Pierson said he has no regrets.
"You would think that if it's been in the works for a number of years, that we would've ended up with a better document," Pierson said. "It was written by someone in the Congregation for Education in Rome, and I don't know how widely they consulted before they wrote it."
Junior Maggie Lally said she was close to Pierson and also disagrees with the documents.
"It makes me so sad that this is the state of the church," Lally said, who is an open lesbian. "It was hard enough for me to read the document. I was crying."
Pierson said he thinks it is important to set criteria that will judge a candidate's "fitness for ordination." But he said the reason he disagrees with the Vatican, and is resigning, lies in those criteria.
"Whether or not the person is gay is immaterial," Pierson said. "The issue is whether or not the person is psychologically and functionally capable of living a healthy, celibate life."
Pierson's e-mail said he is a celibate, gay priest.
Yet he said he has sometimes been criticized for not upholding church teachings.
"It wasn't a lot of people, but those who did [criticize] were pretty nasty," Pierson said. "And it really hurt. I found myself unable to just ignore them, largely because they're reminding me what the church is teaching."
He said his next position will be something "primarily in the monastery."
"It will not be a university job or a parish job," Pierson said. "I'm not leaving the abbey and I'm not leaving the priesthood. I am going to stay out of a public ministry role."
Some students said they are glad he is staying.
"He's done some amazing work with Campus Ministry and the church," said junior Luke Hellier.
Pierson said he hopes this will open up more dialogue on this issue.
"It's time to let other people respond now," he said. "That's one of the reasons why I decided to share my leaving."
Sophomore David Shrake, who has sang in student mass before, agrees.
"I do think it will create more dialogue," Shrake said. "And hopefully the dialogue will be fruitful."
Pierson said after submitting his letter to the president, Br. Dietrich Reinhardt's main concern was how he was doing personally, and what the monastery could do to help him.
Earlier today, Reinhart issued a statement in response to Pierson's e-mail that praised his integrity, courage and wisdom.
"It takes great courage to make hard decisions that are based on conscience and it requires abundant wisdom to chart one's life in the aftermath," Reinhart said in the e-mail.
Campus Ministry said it is unknown who will replace Pierson's position.
