So what happens to a priest that comes out about his sexual orientation in the midst of all this? How do his parishioners react? How does the church react? Michel Martin and Nightline producers worked for months to convince a priest who happens to be gay to agree to an interview. He had come out to his church, an act that split the parish. Even after he had agreed to the interview, he faced great pressure not to talk. A lot of people said the fact that he is gay doesn't bother them, they just don't want him to
talk about it. With the scandal hovering in the background, it's an
emotional situation. So tonight you'll meet Father Raymond, his
supporters, and his detractors. It's not a clear-cut case of right and
wrong, of victim and victimizers. It is, like most stories, made up of
grays rather than black and white.

And I have to be honest, while I write this, I'm half listening to the
radios and televisions, hoping that no one else will be cut down in the midst of what should be just another Friday. So I hope that when you all turn on Nightline tonight, you'll see the story of Father Raymond not just because it is a compelling story, and one that deals with serious issues, but because that will also mean that no one has been killed. And what a horrible sentence that was to write.

Friday, October 18, 2002

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
Washington, D.C.