Last Sunday, Rev. Gregory Greiten surprised his congregants when, during services, he he declared, “I am Greg. I am a Roman Catholic priest. And, yes, I am gay!”

And while some religious conservatives cringed at the thought of an out priest at the pulpit, Greiten, a priest at St. Bernadette’s Ministry in Milwaukee, had the support of his archbishop.

“We support Father Greiten in his own, personal journey and telling his story of coming to understand and live with his sexual orientation,” said Rev. Jerome Listecki in a statement. “As the Church teaches, those with same-sex attraction must be treated with understanding and compassion. As priests who have made a promise to celibacy, we know that every week there are people in our pews who struggle with the question of homosexuality.”

Greiten spoke with Listecki before his announcement, which was timed to an op-ed on the National Catholic Register. But it’s not clear if he indicated whether he was celibate, a requirement for clergy with “same-sex attractions.” Read more via New Now Next