Someone wasn’t social distancing…
Last Wednesday night, an eyewitness was walking by Saints Peter & Paul Church in Pearl River, Louisiana when the person spotted an unusual sight inside the building: a partially naked priest, two women “in corsets and high-heeled boots,” fancy lighting, sex toys, and a phone on a tripod recording the whole scene.
It didn’t take long for word to get back to local police, who promptly arrested Rev. Travis Clark (below) and the two women on charges of obscenity since the scene was occurring within public view.
Obviously, his sex life is his business provided everything was consensual. But I have so many questions…
(1) He’s a priest, so why is he having sex?
(2) Why the hell would you have sex in the church where you work?
(3) Who has to clean the altar now?
(4) Where was this video going to be posted?
(5) How on earth is this one of the least scandalous sex crimes to occur in the Catholic Church?
Clark and the women were later released on bond. All three face up to three years in prison if convicted. (In separate cells.)
Making matters even more complicated, Clark’s other job as chaplain of Pope John Paul II High School was a position he held only because his predecessor — wait for it — committed a sex crime.
The arrests mark the latest scandal to befall the Archdiocese of New Orleans, after a different north shore priest, the Rev. Pat Wattigny, reportedly disclosed on Oct. 1 to Archbishop Gregory Aymond that he had sexually abused a minor in 2013. Aymond removed Wattigny from public ministry last week and added him to the archdiocese’s list of clergy whom the church believes have been credible accused of molestation.
Clark, who was ordained in 2013, had recently been named chaplain of Pope John Paul II High School in Slidell, in addition to his duties at Saints Peter and Paul. At the high school, he succeeded Wattigny, who had resigned from that position this summer over inappropriate text messages sent to a student. Pope John Paul II’s principal on Tuesday sent a letter to school parents criticizing Aymond for waiting until last week to tell him that Wattigny had been under investigation for those texts since February.
Creepiness all around…
I just want to reiterate: The sex itself isn’t the issue. It’s frankly no one’s business. But if this is what Clark wants, he shouldn’t be a priest. That’s an ethical lapse on his part. It’s an actual crime, however, when he has sex at work, in view of the public.
Beyond the alleged crimes, the Church considers altars sacred, which meant they had to send over Archbishop Gregory Aymond to perform a “ritual to restore the altar’s sanctity.”
Hope that ritual included wet wipes.
(Thanks to everyone for the link)
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