(LifeSiteNews) —  Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., is seeking to laicize Father Michael Briese, a whistleblower archdiocesan priest, for refusing to take down blog posts detailing allegations that two priests who remain in good standing with the archdiocese, Father Adam Park and Father Carter Griffin, had sexually abused seminarians as well as allegations of a cover-up of the allegations by both McElroy and his predecessor, Cardinal Wilton Gregory.

In an August 12 letter, McElroy informed Briese that he was requesting his laicization with the Dicastery for the Clergy in response to his supposed “defamatory” claims on his personal Substack, against himself, Gregory, the two accused priests, and the archdiocesan curia; however, he notably did not refute any of the charges.

In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews, Briese rebutted McElroy’s charge that his claims were defamatory, detailed McElroy’s and Gregory’s alleged years-long cover-up of abuse, the prelate’s efforts to have him silenced, their alleged homosexuality, and more.

McElroy’s letter informing Briese of his impending laicization

In his letter to Briese, McElroy emphasized his hope that, during a July 30 meeting, Briese would agree to take down his “defamatory” articles in exchange for continuing a limited priestly ministry for the poor. However, since the priest refused this offer and continued to push McElroy on his, Cardinal Gregory’s, and the archdiocese’s alleged cover-up of sexual abuse, the cardinal said the laicization process will continue.

“I was particularly hoping that such an avenue might emerge because it would allow you to pursue some initiatives in your own priesthood that would serve the poor, that have been so much at the heart of your service in the Church,” McElroy wrote. “But even as we discussed such an approach, you threatened on two separate occasions in our conversation to bring down the Church and me personally, as well as Cardinal Gregory.”

“For these reasons, I must continue the process that has begun to dismiss you from the clerical state,” he added. “It is inconsistent with your identity as a priest to continue the pattern of character assassination that has wounded so many without justification, and as the pastor of this local church, I cannot stand (by) while you do so.”

Briese stressed to this reporter that McElroy did not once refute any of the allegations of abuse by the priests or the cover-up by him, Gregory, and the archdiocese.

“(McElroy) hangs himself here because he’s trying to throw everything on me as disobedience. But he never says that I falsely accused (my) archbishop, he doesn’t say it’s a lie,” the priest said. “He’s just not holding himself accountable.”

“I’ve been obedient for seven years. I have followed the orders by Gregory (and McElroy), but I’m not going to pretend that the homosexual promiscuity in our priesthood today is acceptable,” he added.

“I’m a fighter. And if (McElroy’s) going to destroy my priesthood, he’s going to have to fight me to destroy my priesthood,” Briese said. “And every time he fights me, I’ll swing right back at him,” the priest said.

Alleged DC clerical abuse

In 2021, Father Adam Park, the former vice rector for seminary life at the Pontifical North American College (NAC) in Rome, was accused in a lawsuit by a former seminarian of harassing and preying upon him. Park then quietly stepped down from his position at the NAC, but remained in good standing within the archdiocese.

As Briese noted in his August 22 letter to McElroy and on his Substack, a former NAC seminarian came forward and not only corroborated the first seminarian’s story but also alleged that Park had pushed other seminarians to “pleasure him,” once had a “sexual encounter” with a male flight attendant, and has lived as an active homosexual throughout his priesthood.

According to rumors, Park is currently back in Rome pursuing a doctorate in sacred theology, but LifeSiteNews was unable to corroborate this information.

Another former seminarian from the Saint John Paul II Seminary came forward, accusing Father Carter Griffin, then the seminary’s vice rector, among other clergy, of sexually harassing him. Griffin has since been promoted to rector of the seminary.

Griffin had defended himself by stating that “people in my position don’t do things like that,” per a 2019 letter from the seminarian and his family to then-Archbishop Christophe Pierre, detailing the accusations against the priest.

Briese’s letter in response to McElroy

Ten days after McElroy sent his letter, Briese responded with a letter of his own, noting that the cardinal had failed to answer any of his allegations, and underscored that he wasn’t trying to defame anyone but rather was informing the faithful of the serious allegations against two archdiocesan clergy after they failed to act.

“Before I wrote about the sexual allegations … against Father Park, I attempted – on several occasions without success – to discuss them with Cardinal Wilton Gregory,” the priest wrote.  “His refusal to meet with me led me to believe that he was covering up the abuse allegations made against Father Park, as well as abuse allegations (from) the family of former Baltimore seminarian … made against Father Carter Griffin.”

This is what happens when real men have had enough of covering for corrupt criminals who are destroying the Catholic faith pic.twitter.com/LEG0ISKEDe

— Mark Lambert (@sitsio) August 30, 2025

“Because of the plethora of evidence and sworn testimony against Father Park, I would be in violation of the Safe Environment Polices of the Washington Archdiocese and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops if I obeyed you and Cardinal Gregory by covering up and retracting what I reported about Father Park,” he added.

Briese also sent a copy of the letter to Pope Leo XIV through Cardinal Christophe Pierre, allowing the Vatican to decide whether the allegations were unfounded and if the attempted laicization was justified. While the priest stressed to this reporter that he is not optimistic that the Vatican will ultimately side with him, the priest felt it was important that they have a record of his accusations.

Cardinals Gregory and McElroy’s alleged homosexuality

Briese also discussed how, during his years-long correspondence with Cardinal Gregory about the allegations, he asked the then-Washington archbishop in a letter if perhaps he was covering for these abusive homosexual priests because he himself was a homosexual.

“I asked Gregory a simple yes or no question: Have you ever freely, willingly, knowingly, and deliberately laid down with another consenting homosexual man?”

But Briese never received a response from the archbishop and later posed the same question to his successor, but again didn’t receive a response.

While rumors of Gregory’s and McElroy’s supposed homosexuality over the years have never been confirmed, both prelates are notorious for their pro-LGBT heterodoxy.

Gregory has notably praised and celebrated a Mass for Father James Martin’s heterodox Outreach conference. Earlier this year, during a prayer service for the pro-LGBT dissident Catholic organization Dignity Washington, the cardinal also offered an apology to “LGBTQ Catholics” who he believed had been unjustly hurt by the Church’s teaching on same-sex “marriage.”

While same-sex attraction is not considered sinful in itself, the Catholic Church formally condemns homosexual activity and urges homosexuals to live a chaste lifestyle.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and “contrary to the natural law.” The text is very clear that homosexual activity can never be approved, and repeats that “(h)omosexual persons are called to chastity.” Homosexual acts are also mortal sins; therefore, anyone who commits these sins and does not repent through the sacrament of confession is in danger of hell.

Like Gregory, McElroy has celebrated multiple pro-LGBT Masses, called for active homosexuals as well as divorced and “remarried” couples to receive Holy Communion, and even expressed support for ordaining same-sex attracted men as priests.

Priests need to speak out against their bishops

Whether or not he is officially laicized, Briese emphasized that he is committed to continuing to fight against prelates who cover up sexual abuse.

“I’m a fighter. And if (McElroy’s) going to destroy my priesthood, he’s going to have to fight me to destroy my priesthood,” he said. “And every time he fights me, I’ll swing right back at him.”

Turning to his fellow priests, Briese stressed that they need to have the courage to speak out against bishops whom they know are concealing abuse.

“All of us as ordained men need to step back and ask ourselves the same question: Why did I become a Catholic priest? To build up the kingdom of God or to hide behind its walls and carry myself in such ways that are both illegal and immoral?” he asked.

“If your cardinal or bishop is writing to you, threatening to remove you, put his letter to you up on Substack. Don’t sit there quietly, taking your undeserved beating from your bishop and being unjustly removed from (the) priesthood or punched in some way because the public deserves the truth.”

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., did not respond to LifeSiteNews’ request for comment by publication time.

To read Father Michael Briese’s Substack, click HERE.

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Contact information for respectful communication: 

Cardinal Robert McElroy’s office

Phone: 301-853-5350

Email: [email protected]

Cardinal Wilton Gregory’s office

Phone: 301-853-4580

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]