NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. - Police and the Diocese of Lexington are investigating threatening letters sent to three priests that warn them to stop persecuting homosexual priests within the diocese.

        The unsigned letters accuse the Rev. John Dane and the Rev. William Bush of St. Luke parish in Nicholasville and the Rev. Tom Imfeld of Corbin of wounding and slandering the diocese, its homosexual priests, and its former Lexington bishop, J. Kendrick Williams. Williams resigned in June after three men sued the church and accused him of sexual misconduct.

        The letters also accuse Dane of running a Web site that is highly critical of liberals, feminists and gay priests in the Lexington diocese. Dane has developed Web sites for many parishes and worked as an information technician at the diocesan office, but denies any connection to the site mentioned in the letter.

        The Nicholasville Police Department is investigating the letters as cases of “terroristic threatening.”

        “We don't have any suspects at this time,” said police spokesman Lt. John Branscumb. “We're trying to do a fact-finding mission to see who might send such letters.”

        Catholic officials are also looking into the matter.

        “The diocese is taking this seriously,” said church spokesman Thomas Shaughnessy. “We're looking into it as best we can on our end.”

        The letters purport to be from the “Gay Priests Association,” although no such organization is known to exist in the Lexington diocese. The one-page-typed letters, postmarked in Lexington, bore incorrect return addresses.

        The letter to Dane said Bush and Imfeld have been told they need to get Dane “under control and out of the country (and off the Internet). That is if you would like to continue to receive a salary and keep your life intact.”

        At weekend Masses in Nicholasville, Bush read parishioners a portion of the threatening letter he received, and asked for their prayers.

        “So many people didn't believe there was a gay culture throughout the priesthood and here it is right here,” Bush said. “This is how far we've degenerated.”

        Dane said he has been targeted because he preaches “Gospel values and Gospel principles,” including the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual activity is “gravely disordered.”

        The priest said he is careful not to condemn gays, because the church doesn't consider sexual orientation to be a sin - only sexual activity outside of marriage.

        As for gay sex, “It's a sin and it's enough to keep someone out of heaven,” said Dane. “It's our job to warn people.”

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