Padre Alberto
Cutié (born April 29, 1969), is a Cuban-American cleric better known as Padre Alberto. Cutié was a Roman Catholic priest, who became an internationally recognizable name by hosting television and radio programs.
He joined the Episcopal Church in May 2009.
Media appearances
Cutié the middle child and only son of Cuban exiles was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a teenager he worked as a deejay. He was ordained as a Catholic priest for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami in 1995.
Cutié was the first priest to host a secular talk show both on radio and television. He is also a regular columnist whose writings appear in many Spanish language newspapers throughout the United States and Latin America.
Cutié gained worldwide recognition with his television debut in 1999 as the host of Padre Alberto (and later Cambia tu Vida con el Padre Alberto), a daily talk show televised on the Telemundo network.
He later served as host of the weekly program America en Vivo on Telemundo International.
Beginning in 2002, Cutié hosted a weekly talk program called Hablando Claro con el Padre Alberto, reaching millions of households throughout the United States, Canada, Spain and Latin America on EWTN Español, which is part of the global network founded by Mother Angelica. In July 2003 he officiated at Celia Cruz's funeral mass in Miami.
Cutié also published his first self-help book, Real Life, Real Love ( Ama de Verdad, Vive de Verdad ) in January 2006.
It sold thousands of copies and was a bestseller in the Spanish language market.
Cutié has often been called Father Oprah by various publications such as Newsweek. He served as President and General Director of Radio Paz and Radio Peace Catholic 24-hour radio station beginning in January 2001.
Padre Alberto hosted several radio programs, such as Al Dia and Linea Directa, and directed the daily operations of Pax Catholic Communications for the Archdiocese of Miami, until the spring of 2009.
On April 2, 2009, Cutié was named one of AARP's new Hispanic Ambassadors.
Personal life
On May 5, 2009, Cutié asked church officials for a time of reflection and a leave of absence from his media programs and pastoral work as a result of the publication of pictures by the Mexican gossip magazine TVnotas in which Cutié was shown kissing Ruhama Buni Canellis (born 7 March 1974 in Guatemala). Cutié asked the Archdiocese of Miami for some time to think and make a decision on where his life was heading.
On May 11, 2009, Cutié was interviewed by Maggie Rodriguez of CBS' "The Early Show". He said that he was thinking about leaving the Roman Catholic Church for a woman he loves. He said that he respected the church's position that priests be celibate and recognized that some are very dedicated to that calling.
He also stated he did not want to become the "anti-celibacy priest".
On May 13, 2009, Cutié was interviewed by Teresa Rodríguez on the Univision show Aqui y Ahora. Cutie said: (here translated from Spanish)
"I tried to be faithful to Christ with all my heart, but I failed."
"The Church is committed to its truth.
That is fine! But that did not work out for me. I am not saying that it shouldn't work out for my brothers in the priesthood nor the rest of God's people.
If they want to think that way, may God bless them, but that did not work out for me."
"I do regret if my actions hurt people with all my heart."
When shown the magazine photos and asked to comment on them, Cutié said: "That is called love. What can I say" When asked if he plans to marry the woman, he said: "Getting married would be the normal , not? I have wrestled with that idea for a long time.
I am not the same man I was when I entered the seminary 22 years ago" By the end of month Cutié announced that he had been in the process of discerning entering The Episcopal Church for the last couple of years, which in turn helped him consolidate marriage and his calling to serve God.
Marriage
On June 26, 2009 Cutié married his girlfriend, Ruhama Buni Canellis, in an Episcopal ceremony at St. Leo Frade, the Cuban-born bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, officiated at the religious ceremony, accompanied by the Rt.
Onell Soto (retired Bishop of Venezuela) and several other Episcopal priests.
Because some priests in the Catholic Church have gone through personal crises, like Cutie and then returned to their ministries after repenting, the Church is often slow to laicize a priest.