(Lepanto Institute) — Archbishop John Wester, the local ordinary for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, reinstated the faculties of a priest who spent ten years in San Francisco as a registered “domestic partner” to another man.
According to Father Steve Rosera’s official bio, Abp. Wester reinstated him to the priesthood on January 20, 2021. The official Archdiocese of Santa Fe facebook page indicates that Fr. Rosera took a “leave of absence” 28 years earlier, meaning he had been away from the priesthood since 1993. During this time, Rosera spent ten years in a committed homosexual relationship (officially registered with California courts), heavily advocated for same-sex “marriage,” and played an active role in the LGBT “rights” movement – an activism which he still maintains to this day.
Even more scandalous than restoring Rosera’s priestly faculties, however, Abp. Wester also made him the pastor of a parish, the dean of a deanery of priests in the archdiocese, and placed him on the Archdiocesan Tribunal, where he works as a judge and Defender of the Bond. Abp. Wester currently lives with Rosera in the same residence.
Abp. Wester’s bizarre elevation of Fr. Rosera immediately calls into question his judgment and conscience formation. While weighing the facts of this case, the reader should bear in mind that Abp. Wester:
Background
Fr. Steve Rosera was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on June 21, 1980, by then Archbishop Robert Sanchez. In addition to serving several diocesan parishes in various capacities, he also undertook prominent roles in the archdiocese itself, including as the director of vocations, vicar for administrative affairs, and adjutant judicial vicar. In 1987, Fr. Rosera pursued and obtained a Master of Canon Law from the Catholic University of America, and in 2021 – shortly after his reinstatement as a priest – Fr. Rosera joined the Canon Law Society of America.
As noted above, Fr. Rosera took a “leave of absence” from the priesthood in 1993, citing “the need for some time to discern his vocation further and wanting to make certain of God’s call for him.” During his time away from the priesthood, he worked for the National Catholic Education Association and then for Wells Fargo.
According to official court documents, Alan J. Pex filed for “dissolution of Domestic Partnership” against Steve E. Rosera on 1 June 2015. This petition for the dissolution of their formally registered homosexual relationship indicates that their domestic partnership was originally registered with the courts on 2 November 2005, indicating that they were together for 9 years and 7 months.
The stipulated judgment for the dissolution of their formal relationship was granted on February 8, 2017, by Judge Anne-Christine Massullo.
The stipulated judgment, signed by both Pex and Rosera, reiterates the duration of their registered homosexual relationship, confirming that there were no children involved, the dissolution is due to unhappiness and “irreconcilable differences” and that they both intend “to make a final and complete settlement of rights and obligations concerning custody, visitation, support, and division of property.”
Notably, the evidence of Rosera’s homosexual relationship with Alan Pex appears to have been scrubbed from the public record as much as possible. There is no mention of it in Rosera’s diocesan bio, nor is there any indication of such a relationship on the social media accounts of either Rosera or Pex.
Involvement in a throuple?
During the nearly 10 years in which Rosera and Pex were in a registered homosexual relationship, Alan Pex entered into a same-sex “marriage” with a man now named Reggie Pex.
This “marriage” took place three years prior to Pex filing for dissolution of his registered relationship with Rosera. Rosera was thereby in a court-registered homosexual relationship with a man who simultaneously claimed to be “married” to another homosexual. On Facebook, Reggie Pex posted the date of his “marriage” to Alan on June 22, 2012.
In April of 2020, Reggie posted pictures of his “wedding” to Alan.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Rosera is friends with both Alan and Reggie.
Support of Obergefell
Rosera’s embrace of homosexuality was not limited to entering into a same-sex partnership in San Francisco. In March 2015, he signed his name to an amicus brief in favor of the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in the infamous SCOTUS case Obergefell v. Hodges. The amicus brief was filed by the pro-LGBT Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and gathered 200,000 signatures. Rosera’s name appears on page 553a on the list of residents from California petitioning the court to effectively impose same sex marriage on all 50 states.
According to HRC’s press release announcing the submission of the amicus brief, the organization
… is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
Additionally, Rosera’s own facebook page is littered with a history of active and avid support for same-sex “marriage.” For instance, on the Feast of the Annunciation in 2013, Rosera posted a red equals sign – the symbol calling for the legalization of same-sex “marriage” – and included a link to HRC’s “Stand With Marriage” petition in the comments.
Three months later, Rosera celebrated the Supreme Court’s striking down of the Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed California to conduct same-sex “marriages.”
On June 26, 2015, Rosera celebrated the SCOTUS decision to decriminalize same-sex “marriage” in all 50 states.
Continued LGBT advocacy
In addition to joining his voice to the Supreme Court case that was arguably the most direct assault on the sanctity of marriage in U.S. history, Rosera has used and continues to use social media as a platform to promote and support same-sex marriage and the full LGBT agenda and lifestyle. He has celebrated “Pride Month,” praised political opposition to anti-LGBT legislation, denounced Christian leaders for opposing LGBT ideology, and celebrated the political push to recognize “gay rights” internationally.
On 11 October 2021, Fr. Rosera celebrated Mass for “National Coming Out Day.” In the parish bulletin, Fr. Rosera provided a full-page letter he wrote in support of “Coming out day,” even hypocritically stating support for same-sex civil unions while reiterating Pope Francis’ charge that marriage is only between one man and one woman. Fr. Rosera then used the opportunity to castigate those who hold to the immutable teachings against sodomy, calling them to “come out of the darkness of judgementalism and non-acceptance.”
On June 3, 2021, Rosera posted a picture of himself with a couple of rainbow-colored arms overlaying the image, indicating support for LGBT ideologies. A reminder, this would have been after his reinstatement as a priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, but before his appointment as a pastor.
A few days later, he posted a link to the History Channel’s description of the history of the LGBT movement’s rainbow flag.
On January 26, 2021, Rosera posted an article from America Magazine on the bishops who signed the Tyler Clemente statement – of which Abp. Wester was one. Again, this would have been just after Rosera was reinstated as a priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
On July 1, 2020, Rosera shared Governor Michelle Grisham’s “Happy Pride” message.
On November 2, 2019, Rosera was quoted by New Ways Ministry in an article elevating sexual deviants and their supporters to the level of “sainthood.” Speaking on the homosexual activist Harvey Milk, Rosera was quoted thusly:
“More than anyone I can think of, Harvey Milk inspired millions of people who were made to feel that their lives only mattered as long as they kept their true selves in a box. He gave to generations of LGBTQ+ the realization that they mattered as much as anyone else… he gave them hope.” — Steve Rosera, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
On June 25, 2016, Rosera posted a “Happy Pride” message along with a picture of the rainbow flag and the pink triangle.
Rosera’s current priestly status and background
In addition to his role as pastor of Immaculate Conception, Rosera also oversees St. Mary’s Catholic School, a diocesan K-8 school. This is particularly alarming considering none of his past activities as an LGBT activist nor his time as a registered “domestic partner” in a homosexual relationship is indicated anywhere for parents to discern.
But worse still is the fact that Abp. Wester named Fr. Rosera as the dean of the Albuquerque “C” deanery of priests, which spans 13 parishes within the Santa Fe Archdiocese.
Both the Diocese of Toledo and the Diocese of Cleveland provide articles explaining what a deanery is. While particulars may be different (such as who appoints a dean – in Toledo, a dean is elected from among the priests, whereas in Cleveland, the dean is appointed by the bishop) may be different, the general idea is basically the same. Pulling from both articles, the notion of a dean and a deanery are as follows:
A Deanery is a geographic area comprising Catholic parishes and institutions, overseen by a diocesan priest – who represents the bishop – with the title Dean. Deans may either be elected by their brother priests or appointed by the local ordinary, but the role of the dean is to support the clergy of the deanery, oversee the pastoral life of the parishes, coordinate pastoral planning, and advance those plans.
In essence, a dean acts – in a manner of speaking – as a little “b” bishop, with some authority to act on the bishop’s behalf. That Fr. Rosera was appointed by Abp. Wester as a dean within the archdiocese – despite knowing his history of debauchery – speaks very poorly to the archbishop’s judgment and sense of responsibility.
And perhaps worst of all, as if to knowingly and openly mock the sacrament of marriage itself, Abp. Wester has appointed Rosera to the diocesan marriage tribunal as a judge and defender of the bond, canonical roles within the Church’s court tasked with examining, arguing for, or judging the validity of marriages that have been submitted to the bishop for an annulment. According to the Church’s Canon Law, Rosera’s debauched history would bar him from all exercise of priestly functions, let alone judging the validity of Holy Sacraments.
Canonical penalties
A priest entering into a formally recorded homosexual relationship constitutes an extremely grave violation of both the Sixth Commandment and the priestly promise of celibacy. As such, it carries serious canonical penalties.
An attempted marriage with a woman by a priest under the promise of celibacy is invalid and subject to canonical penalty. An open homosexual relationship which simulates a marriage is a violation of the very nature of marriage itself, and is a more serious violation of celibacy because homosexual acts are sins against nature itself.
Canon 1394 of the Church’s Code of Canon Law states that
… a cleric who attempts marriage, even if only civilly, incurs a latae sententiae suspension. If he does not repent after being warned and continues to give scandal, he can be punished gradually by privations or even by dismissal from the clerical state.
Priests who are suspended by an ecclesiastical law cannot publicly exercise any priestly function. No latae sententiae suspension has been publicly declared by any bishop against Rosera, nor has any latae sententiae suspension been publicly lifted, as far as the Lepanto Institute is aware.
Instead of publicly incurring suspension from priestly ministry, Rosera has been reinstated in ministry by Archbishop Wester and has been place over a parish, grade school, deanery of priests, and the diocesan marriage tribunal.
A shared residence with pro-LGBT Archbishop Wester
Not only does Rosera enjoy prominence within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, but he also shares a residence with Archbishop Wester – himself outspokenly pro-LGBT – raising even further questions.
Clergy of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe have confirmed directly to Lepanto, as eyewitnesses, that Archbishop Wester and Fr. Rosera both live in the former Jesuit residence at Immaculate Conception Parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Rosera is appointed as pastor. While the archbishop often celebrates Mass at the cathedral in Santa Fe on weekends, he lives during the week at the former Jesuit residence at Immaculate Conception.
The same clergy, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, also affirmed that Rosera’s previous homosexual relationship during his leave of absence is widely known among the older priests of the archdiocese and that the archbishop certainly knows of it.
According to the testimony of fellow clergy, Rosera never loses an opportunity to “include” and “promote” homosexuals within the local church. Local clergy have told Lepanto that Rosera has a “soft spot” for homosexuals.
Laity, who have also requested anonymity, have also expressed to Lepanto their dismay at the scandal of a priest who lived in a simulated homosexual “marriage,” now sitting as judge on the marriage tribunal for the archdiocese. The duplicity of the situation, they said, is cause for great alarm especially among Catholic parents.
Archbishop Wester has himself promoted same-sex “marriage”, publicly stating he sees no objection to baptizing children of same-sex “couples” and arguing in favor of blessing same-sex “couples” following the Vatican’s promulgation of Fiducia supplicans. Wester is also the episcopal moderator for the heretical Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP), infamous for promoting women’s ordination to the priesthood and LGBT ideology within the Church.
While bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah, Abp. Wester elevated a woman who had received contributions from Planned Parenthood for a political campaign. The woman had also advocated for LGBT ideology and contraception as part of her campaign against Catholic moral teaching.
Wester has also defended programs conducted by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which openly promote masturbation as a form of safe sex. He has likewise defended the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which receives large grants from the U.S. Bishops’ Conference, despite decades of public evidence that the CCHD finances many pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, and Marxist organizations in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars drawn from the Catholic faithful.
Wester’s reinstatement and elevation of Rosera, despite his having entered a same sex “domestic partnership” and his long public advocacy for LGBT ideology, in contradiction to both Church teaching and Canon Law, appears to be yet another lavender-mafia promotion of homosexuals within the ranks of the clergy.
Lay faithful have stated to Lepanto that they perceive Wester’s appointment of Rosera to the marriage tribunal as a perverse mockery of the sanctity of marriage, and clergy have said they understand his elevation as dean of priests to be a signal to the presbyterate of the price of promotion under their current archbishop.
The Papal Nuncio to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre, has been made aware of Rosera’s same sex relationship and his current privileged status in Sant Fe.
The Lepanto Institute has reached out by email to both Archbishop Wester and Fr. Rosera with direct questions on the scandal of the situation but received no reply before press time. This report will be updated should either respond.
Reprinted with permission from the Lepanto Institute.
