Catholic Priest

She could've had a Zamboni Talk about a birthday surprise. Hilary Duff thought new bf Mike Comrie, who plays center for the New York Islanders (and played briefly for the Flyers), was going to give her "shoes or something" for her 20th birthday, People.com reports. Silly Hil. The guy's a hockey player. Going over the top is everyday stuff for him. Besides, he wants to make a good impression. So what did Comrie give Duff? How about a Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV, which sells for more than 100 grand, topped with a big red bow?

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced yesterday that the Vatican has laicized one of its former priests, Francis J. Gallagher, for sexually abusing minors. As a result, he may no longer function as a Catholic priest. Gallagher, who was removed from active ministry in 2002, had requested laicization, according to the archdiocese. He served in four parishes and two high schools of the archdiocese after he was ordained in 1973. Gallagher was identified in the 2005 Philadelphia grand-jury report on sex abuse in the archdiocese as an example of the archdiocese's mishandling of abusive priests.

RE THE OP-ED "In defense of the (inevitable) ordination of women": While female priests may or may not benefit the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, Canada and Europe, the idea is strongly opposed by most of the 1 billion Roman Catholics throughout the world. The Anglican Community, mentioned by Professor Endres in her support of female ordination, is being ripped apart by rich-world insistence on female ordination, among other things. This tendency of a rich and powerful minority pushing its views on a large, poor majority is neither attractive nor Christian.

DURING THE past two or three decades, we've evolved into a "self-help" society. An entire publishing industry has sprung from our ever-increasing desire to take matters into our own hands and reshape this mortal clay into more pleasing forms. From Jane Fonda to Dr. Phil (and the ubiquitous annoyance of Oprah), the shamans of self-improvement have taught us that the power to change lies within. And whether it be botox or spiritual renewal, Americans are eager to engage in personal upgrades.

Eileen DiFranco sang the hymns, prayed and took Communion as she had done at countless other Catholic Masses. But yesterday, for the first time, she led the service as an ordained priest - and received a warm reception from hundreds of Catholics and others. "Nothing is impossible with our God," she told a congregation at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown. "Not even a woman priest. " Applause rippled across the steamy sanctuary, where many fanned themselves with programs titled: "First Mass.

Aboard the Majestic sailing the three rivers of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia's Eileen McCafferty DiFranco participated in a ceremony yesterday that organizers say makes her among the first group of women to be ordained a priest in the United States by the organization Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Roman Catholic dioceses around the country, including the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the more than three-hour ordination invalid because they said only men could become priests under church law. More than 350 friends, family members and like-minded religious advocates watched as three women from Germany and South Africa who say they are bishops laid their hands upon the candidates clothed in white vestments and later stoles in shades of red and anointed them with oils as part of a Mass ushering in priesthood.

The Rev. Leonard Klein has been a minister for more than 30 years, but tomorrow, he will celebrate Easter in a way that he has never done before. Klein, of Wilmington, will observe the Resurrection as a Catholic priest after decades as a married pastor with children. The newly ordained Klein, who is a former Lutheran minister, is now one of about 100 married Catholic priests in the United States. He will deliver the homily tomorrow at two Sunday Masses. Klein says simply: "It feels very good to be where I am. " As a conservative Lutheran, Klein, 60, has not felt that way for a very long time.

TATTLE is certainly not the place to get into church scandals, but if a Catholic priest were to produce a CD of Pope John Paul II's prayers, couldn't he come up with a better choice to sing than Michael Jackson? Isn't that asking Jay Leno to make you a punchline? But Rev. Giuseppe Moscati, an Italian priest who runs a music label specializing in religious songs, said yesterday that Jackson could be one of several artists to sing on such a CD if he gets Vatican approval. Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio has produced CDs of famous actors reciting John Paul poems, but now Moscati is considering a CD with song lyrics drawn from 24 prayers penned by John Paul.

A local hospice provider yesterday dismissed a Catholic priest it had hired as a bereavement counselor, saying it did not know he was an accused sex abuser. Odyssey HealthCare of Philadelphia Inc., based in Blue Bell, said it immediately removed the Rev. Anthony J. Eremito, who is about 63, after learning that he had been suspended from ministry nearly four years ago by the Archdiocese of New York. "He was in our employment for about three months as a bereavement counselor or coordinator," said Brad Bickham, general counsel for Odyssey's parent company, based in Dallas.

Last week?s grand jury report on sex crimes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia prompted many more letters than could be run on the editorial page. The following is a sampling of responses from readers. I am a Catholic priest serving here in Philadelphia. It used to be so good to be a priest. Now it feels like we have blood on our hands. I wonder how people will ever trust us again. They will not trust us unless we do something drastic - something much more drastic than saying we are dreadfully sorry for what some priests did 10, 20 or 30 years ago. What we need is a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the Catholic Church - similar to what was done some years ago in South Africa under Archbishop Desmond Tutu.