Headline: "Cross-dressing meth priest liked sex in rectory"

[Tiassa]

And It's Only January: Lede of the Year Candidate
Careful, your head might explode

I'm uncertain how to preface this one, so let's just check in with Daniel Tepfer of the San Francisco Chronicle:

The Catholic priest busted for allegedly dealing crystal meth was suspended after church officials discovered he was a cross-dresser who was having sex in the rectory at Bridgeport's St. Augustine Cathedral.​

Yeah. Boom. The hardest thing about comprehension is that after I scrape the splatter of my brain off the walls, ceiling, and monitor, it's still really hard to get those bits lodged in the keyboard.

Tepfer continues:

Monsignor Kevin Wallin was relieved of his duties in May, but the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport had continued to pay him a stipend until his Jan. 3 arrest -- a day he was planning to fly to London on vacation.

Now dubbed "Msgr. Meth" by some, Wallin seemed to live a life that easily could have been ripped from the script of "Breaking Bad," the popular AMC series about a high school chemistry teacher turned crystal methamphetamine producer. At one point, Wallin was selling upwards of $9,000 of meth a week, according to his indictment.

In his post-priesthood, Wallin, 61, bought an adult specialty and video store in North Haven called Land of Oz that sells sex toys and X-rated DVDs. Investigators believe the shop helped him launder thousands of dollars in weekly profits.​

Parishioners in Connecticut are, naturally, stunned. Maria Spencer-Fonseca said, "This was a work of evil—and I am praying for the monsignor". Therese Ruppert said she "can't fathom it", because, "He was so spiritual. His sermons were wonderful. He had such knowledge of theology."

There is no evidence, according to the Diocese, that Wallin ever sold methamphetamine while he served in the churches.

"We had no indication he had a drug problem and never had complaints regarding him and drugs," said Diocese Spokesman Brian Wallace.

Instead, Wallace said they became concerned in the spring of 2011 when they began receiving complaints from parishioners regarding Wallin's appearance and erratic behavior.

"We approached him and he admitted he was struggling a bit and shortly after that he resigned (July 2011) and the bishop granted him a sabbatical," Wallace said.

Wallin did go for a health assessment but then didn't go for follow-up examinations and subsequently dropped out of sight. As a result, Wallace said Wallin was suspended.

But sources knowledgeable with the case said the situation went deeper than diocese officials will publicly admit.

While pastor of St. Augustine's, sources said he often disappeared for days at a time; and rectory personnel became concerned and notified diocese officials when Wallin, sometimes dressed as a woman, would entertain odd-looking men, some who were also dressed in women's clothing and engaging in sex acts.

In addition, diocese officials found bizarre sex toys in Wallin's residence, the sources said.

Diocese officials consulted lawyers about the situation and were assured none of Wallin's behavior appeared illegal.​

If the thought arises that this is the sort of tale that would be rejected as a Hollywood script for being just too unbelievable, well, okay, one might be accused of not paying attention to Tinseltown. But, still, this would be the sort of farce that sees a one-week run in cinemas before arriving on DVD eight weeks later.

To the other, I did learn something today: I had no idea meth was so damn expensive. Apparently, his operation was getting five hundred dollars a pop for eight balls.

And, to be honest, the phrase "gallon-size plastic bag filled with crystal meth" wasn't one I expected to be reading today.

I'm so naïve.
____________________

Notes:

Tepfer, Daniel. "Sources: Cross-dressing meth priest liked sex in rectory". San Francisco Chronicle. January 17, 2013. SFGate.com. January 18, 2013. http://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Sources-Cross-dressing-meth-priest-liked-sex-in-4203841.php

 

[IfIonlyhadabrain]

Seminaries really need to overhaul their screening process. It's clearly failing.

 

[andy1033]

Do remember though that loads of priests do abstain from sex and vices all there lifes. Yep alot of people cannot handle it, but do not go thinking abstaining from sex all your life is impossible because a minority of priests cannot handle it.

 

[Balerion]

This is one of those instances in which truth really is stranger than fiction. You couldn't sell this story to Hollywood.

Also, is anyone else suspicious of the line "bizarre sex toys?" I mean, did they really find bizarre toys, or did they merely find sex toys, which are by nature bizarre to a bunch of virginal recluses?

 

[arauca]

Do remember though that loads of priests do abstain from sex and vices all there lifes. Yep alot of people cannot handle it, but do not go thinking abstaining from sex all your life is impossible because a minority of priests cannot handle it.

They should get married like the priest of the Orthodox church

 

[IfIonlyhadabrain]

Do remember though that loads of priests do abstain from sex and vices all there lifes. Yep alot of people cannot handle it, but do not go thinking abstaining from sex all your life is impossible because a minority of priests cannot handle it.

I don't think this is a case of "alot of people cannot handle it." The extent of this man's issues is wide, and clearly deep. Drug abuse, cross-dressing, what I assume to be male prostitutes, and actually buying a sex store. This guy had problems long before he entered the priesthood. When you're in a community, and surrounded by plenty of people who espouse certain sets of virtues, you have to really want badly to break away from that culture to steep yourself into vices which are entirely contrary to the virtues of the community. No, these issues came with him into the priesthood.

I think there may be a misconception about men entering seminaries. There seems to be this idea that they've been there forever, or at least early enough in life to be sheltered from the world. On the contrary, many men enter the priesthood with much life experience. I knew priests who, before entering the seminary, had been wrestlers, boxers, police officers, computer hackers, international ping pong champions, etc. We should also be aware that many of the priests we have now were teenagers and young adults during the sexual revolution, a time of great moral upheaval for our cultures.

 

[keems]

Wow that escalated quickly!

 

[Asguard]

I don't think this is a case of "alot of people cannot handle it." The extent of this man's issues is wide, and clearly deep. Drug abuse, cross-dressing, what I assume to be male prostitutes, and actually buying a sex store. This guy had problems long before he entered the priesthood. When you're in a community, and surrounded by plenty of people who espouse certain sets of virtues, you have to really want badly to break away from that culture to steep yourself into vices which are entirely contrary to the virtues of the community. No, these issues came with him into the priesthood.

I think there may be a misconception about men entering seminaries. There seems to be this idea that they've been there forever, or at least early enough in life to be sheltered from the world. On the contrary, many men enter the priesthood with much life experience. I knew priests who, before entering the seminary, had been wrestlers, boxers, police officers, computer hackers, international ping pong champions, etc. We should also be aware that many of the priests we have now were teenagers and young adults during the sexual revolution, a time of great moral upheaval for our cultures.

sorry only one of those things is actually a problem, ie the drug use. And the drug use can be explained quite easerly by looking at the fact he is obviously gay in an organisation of self confessed homophobes.