"A happy porn-writing Sodomite" gets canned by RC Church

St. Anthony Shrine has removed a gay Boston man from several lay leadership posts after he wrote a memoir that called attention to his dual roles as an author of gay erotica and a lector at the Catholic church.

Scott Pomfret, a lawyer for the Securities and Exchange Commission who described himself in his memoir as "a happy porn-writing Sodomite," had served for eight years in various capacities at the shrine, even after he disclosed to the friars that he was an advocate of same-sex marriage and, with his partner, a published author of erotic works. His writings, most of which he coauthored with his partner, were not a secret - the pair had been profiled in the Globe and The New York Times magazine.

But Pomfret's latest book, a sarcastic memoir titled "Since My Last Confession," proved too much for the friars, many of whom were interviewed by Pomfret as he wrote the book. The book suggests that some local clergy, who are given fictional names, are sexually active, and is mocking toward Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston. The shrine's executive director, the Rev. David Convertino, said some people had expressed concern about the appropriateness of Pomfret's role at the church.

"There were people who felt it was incompatible for someone to stand up publicly and say, 'I'm a pornographer, and I'm a lector at St. Anthony Shrine,' " Convertino said. "There's a public stance that he's taking, and it seems that most of this is to sell the book."

 

Lector removed after gay memoir
Boston Globe, United States