A well-known and well-loved Miami Beach priest with movie star features was removed from his church on Tuesday after pictures of him frolicking with a woman on a Florida beach appeared in a Spanish magazine.
About 25 pictures of Rev. Alberto Cutie were published in the Spanish language magazine, TVnotas USA, passionately kissing and caressing a woman openly on the beach.
In a statement that was released by the magazine editorial director, Juan Garcia Alejandro, it said, “On three different days, the priest was seen giving the woman a piggyback ride and on one occasion he was caressing her openly. On all of these occasions, the priest hugged the woman and gave her passionate kisses on the mouth.”
One of the pictures, which were taken in March, showed the priest lying on his back in blue shorts with an unidentified woman with long brown hair in a dark bathing suit wrapping her legs around him.
In another picture, the priest is seen with one hand inside the woman’s bathing suit touching her posterior.
The 40-year-old popular Catholic priest, who is also a newspaper columnist and radio and television personality, will no longer say Sunday Mass at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church or run operations for the church.
Tuesday night the priest released a statement saying, “Before God—full of love and mercy—I ask for the forgiveness of those who may be hurt or saddened by my actions. Since I entered the seminary at the age of 18, the priesthood has brought me great joy. The commitment that I made to serve God will remain intact. I am grateful for the love and support I have received today from so many in our community, especially my parishioners and the supporters of the radio stations, who have demonstrated great compassion and understanding toward me as a human being. I ask for your continued prayers and support.”
Rev. Cutie met with Archbishop John C. Favalora earlier on Tuesday, and the bishop said the pictures of Cutie, and the woman saddened him. “Father Cutie’s actions cannot be condoned despite the good works he has done as a priest. I ask for everyone’s prayers at this time.”
In 1995, Cutie was ordained as a Catholic priest by the Archdiocese of Miami. For the past eight years, he ran the Catholic Church’s radio stations, including Radio Paz, on which he has his own show.
Many listeners calling into WACC Radio Paz today were supportive and forgiving of the priest. One caller said, “He’s a human. So he can make mistakes. I know he shouldn’t do that. I know it’s against the policies of the church. But it’s OK. He’s a human being.”
An elderly caller said, “If I were a young woman, I would go to church everyday just to look at him.”
In 1999, during an interview with The Miami Herald, Cutie said it was difficult maintaining celibacy saying, “It’s a struggle, but it’s a good struggle.” In addition, two weeks ago, he told the Washington Post his celibacy didn’t interfere with advice he gives to married couples.
Cutie was born in Puerto Rico to Cuban parents but grew up in Kendall, Florida, and attended Southwest Miami High School.
He writes a column about relationships, works out every day and likes going to clubs.
So far, the magazine of the priest was released in New York and California and is expected to be released in Miami next week.
