{"id":21651,"date":"2017-08-22T20:57:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T20:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/arlington-priest-reveals-former-kkk-membership-takes-voluntary-leave-of-absence-43839\/"},"modified":"2017-08-22T20:57:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-22T20:57:00","slug":"arlington-priest-reveals-former-kkk-membership-takes-voluntary-leave-of-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2017\/08\/arlington-priest-reveals-former-kkk-membership-takes-voluntary-leave-of-absence\/","title":{"rendered":"Arlington priest reveals former KKK membership, takes voluntary leave of absence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Arlington, Va., Aug 22, 2017 \/ 02:57 pm (CNA<\/a>).- An Arlington priest revealed Monday that he was a former member of the Ku Klux Klan before converting while in prison, and has asked for a temporary leave of absence from ministry.<\/p>\n

The Diocese of Arlington released a statement saying that Fr. William Aitcheson, a parochial vicar at St. Leo Catholic Church in Fairfax, Va., wrote an article in the diocesan newspaper \u201cwith the intention of telling his story of transformation\u201d from being a Klan member to abandoning his racist beliefs and becoming a Catholic priest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe left that life behind him 40 years ago and since journeyed in faith to eventually become a Catholic priest,\u201d the diocese said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe voluntarily asked to temporarily step away from public ministry, for the well-being of the Church and parish community, and the request was approved.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the wake of the recent white nationalist rally at Charlottesville, Va. on August 11-12, Fr. Aitcheson wrote in the Arlington Catholic Herald<\/a><\/strong> of his past membership in the Ku Klux Klan and \u201cdespicable\u201d acts like burning a cross on someone else\u2019s lawn and writing threatening letters. His article was entitled, \u201cMoving from hate to love with God\u2019s grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Washington Post report of Aitcheson\u2019s arrest in 1977, he was an \u201cexalted cyclops\u201d in the Robert E. Lee Lodge of the Maryland Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and was charged with six cross-burnings in Prince George\u2019s County, Md., as well as one count of making bomb threats and two counts of making pipe bombs.<\/p>\n

The New York Times reported that he was convicted of criminal misdemeanor for burning a cross in the yard of a black family in College Park, Md. and was sentenced to 90 days in prison.<\/p>\n

In his article for the Herald, Fr. Aitcheson said that although he was baptized and raised a Catholic, he did not practice the faith as a young man. But after leaving the \u201canti-Catholic\u201d Klan, he came back to the Church, \u201ca reminder of the radical transformation possible through Jesus Christ in his mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He entered the seminary and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas, Nev. in 1988. He came to the Arlington Diocese in 1993. The Arlington Diocese stated that \u201cthere have been no accusations of racism or bigotry against Fr. Aitcheson throughout his time in the Diocese of Arlington.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 40 years have passed, I must say this: I\u2019m sorry. To anyone who has been subjected to racism or bigotry, I am sorry,\u201d he wrote in the Arlington Catholic Herald. \u201cI have no excuse, but I hope you will forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington stated that \u201cwhile Fr. Aitcheson\u2019s past with the Ku Klux Klan is sad and deeply troubling, I pray that in our current political and social climate his message will reach those who support hate and division, and inspire them to a conversion of heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Lord is ready to help them begin a new journey, one where they will find peace, love, and mercy. The Catholic Church will walk with anyone to help bring them closer to God,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While we believe in God\u2019s forgiveness, we should not forget the sins of our past, Fr. Aitcheson wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur actions have consequences and while I firmly believe God forgave me \u2013 as he forgives anyone who repents and asks for forgiveness \u2013 forgetting what I did would be a mistake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The recent rallies of white nationalists in Charlottesville, held to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, included Klan members and neo-Nazis, and featured racist chants. On August 12, a 20-year-old man from Ohio drove a car into the counter-protest to the rallies, killing one and injuring 19.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe images from Charlottesville brought back memories of a bleak period in my life that I would have preferred to forget,\u201d Fr. Aitcheson said of the rallies.<\/p>\n

He wrote that the hate manifested in the rallies \u201cshould bring us to our knees in prayer.\u201d Catholics should condemn racism \u201cat every opportunity\u201d and pray for its victims, and pray for the conversion of those holding racist beliefs, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are any white supremacists reading this, I have a message for you: you will find no fulfillment in this ideology. Your hate will never be satisfied and your anger will never subside,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI encourage you to find peace and mercy in the only place where it is authentic and unending: Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Arlington, Va., Aug 22, 2017 \/ 02:57 pm (CNA).- An Arlington priest revealed Monday that he was a former member of the Ku Klux Klan before converting while in prison, and has asked for a temporary leave of absence from ministry.<\/p>\n

The Diocese of Arlingt…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nArlington priest reveals former KKK membership, takes voluntary leave of absence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Arlington, Va., Aug 22, 2017 \/ 02:57 pm (CNA).- An Arlington priest revealed Monday that he was a former member of the Ku Klux Klan before converting while in prison, and has asked for a temporary leave of absence from ministry. 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