A Vatican Soap Opera by Barbie Latza Nadeau Dec 8, 2013 5:45 am EST In what could be a scene straight out of The
Thorn Birds, a once high-ranking priest will
finally marry the mother of his child, who
happens to be the daughter of a former U.S.
ambassador to the Holy See. During his time as a priest, Father Thomas
Williams officiated over countless weddings. This
weekend, Williams, who left the priesthood in May
after admitting he fathered a child out of wedlock,
will be on the other side of the altar. The former
priest will wed Elizabeth Lev Glendon in a private wedding at an undisclosed location in the United
States. Theoretically, the wedding cannot be held in
a Catholic church—both because Williams is a
former priest who broke his vows of celibacy and
because Lev Glendon has borne three children out
of wedlock—but the nuptials could be blessed by a Catholic priest if the couple chooses to go that
route. Glendon is the daughter of Mary Glendon,
the highest-ranking woman in the Vatican as head
of the Pontifical Academy for Social Services. She
served as the American ambassador to the Holy
See from 2008 to 2009. She is currently on a select advisory committee tasked with reforming the
Vatican Bank for Pope Francis. At the time Mary Glendon was ambassador, her
daughter was single-handedly raising the secret
love child she had with Williams, who is the author
of several books including Knowing Right From Wrong. He was a well-known television talking head for CBS and other news networks during the death
of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope
Benedict XVI. It was during that time, in 2005, Lev
Glendon and Williams had their baby. Lev Glendon,
who is an art historian, was working as a columnist
for ZENIT news agency, which was run by the Legion of Christ. She wrote about a number of
feminist issues, including an emotional essay about
her mother in 2006. According to the Associated
Press, which broke the wedding story, Williams and
Lev Glendon were often about town in Rome,
showing up at events together and often co-hosting gatherings of visiting Catholic students and youth
groups. Whispers of their supposed affair were a
common among the expat set. Williams—for many years described as the "go-to
guy" on Catholic affairs—was a member of the
controversial Legions of Christ order, which has
long been at the epicenter of the church's child sex
abuse scandal. The Legion of Christ founder,
Father Marcial Maciel, who died in 2008, was a known drug addict who both fathered several
children out of wedlock and allegedly molested
young seminarians studying for the priesthood.
John Paul II continued to support Maciel despite
the rumors of his grave misconduct, which has
always been a stain on John Paul II’s legacy. The order has been run by the Vatican since 2010, and
new Vatican-approved leaders will take the helm
next month. During his time with the Legion of
Christ, Williams taught ethics and social doctrine in
Rome at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical
Athenaeum. In May 2012, after admitting that he had fathered a
child in direct defiance with the Catholic Church’s
celibacy requirements for priests, Williams took a
year off public ministry to “reflect” on his sins. At
the time, he apologized publicly for his “grave
transgression” and “to everyone who is hurt by this revelation.” A year later, he left the priesthood
completely to help Lev Glendon care for their son,
who has Down Syndrome. Williams and Lev Glendon have refused to
comment on their nuptials. In an email to the
Associated Press, Lev Glendon said, “we have no
intention of ever discussing our personal life in this
forum.” After years of living in secrecy, followed by
a public outing that proved highly embarrassing for all involved, no doubt they are more than ready to
get on with their lives.