Living with Regret

Living with regret

October 18, 2015

In memory of my father, Vyacheslav.

A few months ago my father died. I loved my father but we had somewhat of a difficult relationship for the last ten years of his life. When I graduated from high school, over thirty years ago, I was determined to enter Seminary in order to prepare for the priesthood, he was cautious, concerned that the life of a priest was difficult. The Ukrainian phrase that he used was that being a priest “was a tough piece of bread,” but he did give me his blessing to enter Seminary. Throughout my years of study he was very proud of me, especially when I was able to return to my home parish during vacations and allowed to preach to the congregation. He used to prod the local pastor to allow me to preach. The harder conversation came months after graduating from Seminary and telling my father that I intended to ask to be ordained as a celibate priest.[1] He was very worried that I would be alone in my life, and that I would have a very difficult time living as an unmarried man. He believed that everyone needed someone to love and care for in their lives, and was deeply concerned that I would not have someone in my life to love and to be loved by. I tried to convince him that after much prayer, thought and preparation, that this was my true desire. I was fairly certain that he was unconvinced; he nonetheless gave me his blessing to petition the bishop for ordination. Over twenty years plus of priestly service, in the parish, teaching at the diocesan Seminary and working closely with the hierarchy of the Church, I was thoroughly convinced of my father’s love for me, as well as his admiration and respect for my chosen path in life.

What my father did not know was that over those years, his concerns proved to be true.  It was difficult to be alone, to live alone, to not have anyone special in my life to love and care for, someone who loved and cared for me. What my father also did not know was that it would have been impossible for me to have gotten married to a woman, as I was gay, something that I knew about myself from a very early age. I did not believe that the priesthood would turn me straight, or take away the feelings that I had, but I did spend years hoping, praying, fasting, visiting holy men and traveling to monasteries with the sincere hope that God would take away my desires and feelings and longing for another man to love and spend my life with.  What my father also did not know was that I constantly questioned my calling to the priesthood. Why would God call me, a gay man to be a priest, if He did not also give me the charism,[2] the gift, to live a chaste and celibate life? The turmoil was significant and something I believed I could not share with my father. Why?

When my brothers and I were younger, I was in 6th or 7th grade, I vividly remember my father telling us that if he ever found out that one of us was a “homo”, he would kill us. I am not sure what provoked my father, who was not a violent man, he never even hit us as children, but for some reason he felt compelled to say this to his sons. Did he see something in me that made him question, or wonder about his eldest son’s sexual orientation? In relating this episode many years later to a dear friend, he questioned the veracity of my memory. How and why would a child ever make something like this up? What child would believe that their parent had within them the possibility to harm their children, especially if all that child knew was love and care from their parents? Of course I knew that my father would not have ever harmed us, but what I do know is that for decades I lived with the fear that one day he would find out that I was gay. And in my mind I was certain that that meant losing my father’s love and respect.

For years after leaving the active priesthood my father wondered about why I no longer served in the Church. It was a topic that I refused to discuss with him. My father died never fully knowing the full truth about his son. He never had the pleasure of meeting the most wonderful man who changed my life, my husband. Frequently I ask myself and search my conscience for regrets of not sharing with my father what he for sure already knew. I wonder why I was afraid and why I was such a coward, and now I must live with the thoughts that I will never be able to share my truth with my father, and that I might always live with the regrets. Certainly it was not because I believe I made the wrong choice to leave the active priesthood, or marry the man I love, it was the fear of losing my father’s love. But to be truthful, I never gave him the choice to accept or reject me, and that choice I regret.

Many of us have regrets in our life, for things that we should have said or done, and for times when we should have kept silent or not acted. We agonize about being candid and telling our truth, especially to those we love and from whom we crave respect. LGBT Orthodox Christians especially worry about telling their spiritual fathers that they were created differently, although very much in the image of our Creator. Called to be honest, we are particularly troubled that our families would not understand us, lack compassion, condemn us, or even bar us from the family, including the family of Christ within the Church. No child of God should ever wonder if they are loved or will be loved.

Forgive me, Dad.

Memory Eternal, Dad.

Vichna Pamyat, Tato.

[1] In the Orthodox Church, priests may choose to be married (to women, of course), but the marriage must take place before ordination.
[2] In Greek χαρίσμα, a blessing or gift from God, given in order to accomplish a task, for example, discernment.

This Post Has 17 Comments

  1. Hank Szlenkier

    I believe I knew your father. I worked with him and was with him on his last day at work. Your father was the most devout, intelligent and hardest working person at work. He would often talk his family and his deep love and concern for all of you. He did have a mean bone in his body. He would talk of his conflicted circumstances but retained his faith. You know that he was a forgiving and loving father and person.

  2. Simeon

    God bless you! I too am struggling with my Family on this issue. My Mother told me that being Bisexual is wrong and does not belong in this house so now thanks to that, I have been isolated and I have even been attacked by other Orthodox Christians!

    1. andre

      Thank you for your email and support of the website. I am so sorry to hear that your mother has been so cruel to her own flesh and blood. Sometimes our parents just need time and we need to have the patience and courage to help them understand. Please know that you are not alone in your struggle.  There are numerous LGBT Orthodox Christians in this country and the world who feel like you do and have been treated as you have – even worse in areas like Russia and Georgia and Chechnya. 
      Please have faith in God and yourself and believe that you can overcome all obstacles.
      Please stay in touch.
      I bid you peace,
      Andriy

  3. jon

    nicely put my friend

    sincere and heartfelt

    may your papa rest in peace

  4. Bob

    Two of my children have recently told me that they are gay. I loved them before and will always love them. I pray each night that God will take this burden from them. I cannot believe that he would want them to live alone without love. Their Orthodox faith is so strong that I am afraid of the conflict that they feel. I am sorry that you did not tell your dad as I am sure he would have still loved you. Our children are a precious gift from God and we love just as he gives them to us.

    1. andre

      Bob,
      Thank you for your email and support of this website. As a parent you know how important it is to not only love your children, but to tell and show them that you do love them. But, I am not sure what burden you speak of. God granted each of us the power to love and the attraction we feel. It is only a burden when individuals, some members of society, the “official” churches, tell us that we are cursed and need to repent and live lives without love.
      Please stay in touch. I bid you peace.
      Andriy

  5. alex

    interesting story.i am from ukraine living abroad.yes i am gay and adore orthodox church.adore orthodox music.sing in choir.like piligrimages.and being a gay and orthodox christian is really nice.

    1. andre

      Alex,
      Thank you for sharing your story with us. It can be difficult to be gay and Orthodox. I wish you God’s blessings of peace and happiness away from your homeland. Anhela Okhoronytelya Tobi.
      Andriy

  6. Peter

    Dear Father Andriy,
    I am so sorry for the loss of your father. It is very hard for a man to bury his father, especially when his true feelings and true self have never been revealed . When my father passed away I myself never admitted to him I was gay. I know he knew but it remained unsaid. I always questioned his love for me as I never really got to know him the way I would have liked to. He did his best as a father and I except that. My father was buried on my birthday and I saw this as a privilege. Being new to the Orthodox Faith, I light a candle every Sunday and pray for him. I will light a candle for your father and for you, Father Andriy.
    I wish you well. Peter

    1. andre

      Peter,
      Thank you for your very kind words and expression of sympathy. It seems that we share something in common, unresolved issues surrounding our fathers. It is, I believe, common for many men, especially men of a certain age and from certain ethnic backgrounds. I remember you and your father in prayer. We can only leave the rest up to God and ask for His help in healing. But I think we also have a responsibility to let those around us know that we love them, and live our lives as openly and as honestly as God made us. Blessings of peace, Andriy

  7. Wallyson

    Andrey, I’m from Brazil and I’m Byzantine Catholic. And how many, I’m homosexual. Your blog it has helped me so much. May God bless you and conserve you in many years!

    1. andre

      Thank you so much for your kind comment and support. Please remember that God loves all of His children. Please stay in touch. I bid you peace, Andriy

  8. Wallyson

    Andrey, I’m from Brazil and I’m Byzantine Catholic. And how many, I’m homosexual. Your blog it has helped me so much. May God bless you!

  9. Maria

    I felt really sad reading this 🙁 I’m so sorry, Fr Andre.

    1. andre

      Thank you. You are very kind.

  10. Vladimir Vandalov

    It was very painful to read about the repose of your Тато. May God grant him вічная пам’ять and to you blessed grace and comfort in your loss. ” For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” – I Corinthians 13:12.

    1. andre

      Thank you so much for your kind comments, Vladimir.

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