No gays, no way: Vatican on homosexual priests

The Vatican is in denial. Where would the Church in the US be without the gay priests? They are a large and important part of our Church here. The number of seminarians is already low, to get rid of all the gay seminarians would cut this number by almost a third. Certainly, the Church cannot accept those who are sexually active but those with a vocation to the celibate life should be accepted.

It appears the some in the Church see gay men as less than men. They are seen as disordered and defective and somehow less than fully human. Less than a "real" man. Some don't want them to be allowed to be married or in relationships, they don't want them to be priests either. They just want them and their kind out of the Church. This is so sad.

This is something I consider evil. I do not think for a moment that Christ's message can be realized in a teaching that can be so damaging to a person either psychologically or spiritually. Especially spiritually.

Nothing at this point will dissuade me from my conviction that the teaching is flawed. The Magisterium can say what it will, but I, as a practicing Catholic, along with the rest of my family, will never give assent to this teaching.

My reason for being a member of the Church, therefor, is not because I agree with all its teachings. I belong to the Church because the love and adour that I have for God has found its expression in the ritual of the Mass.

Christ's two great comandments are that you should love God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that you should love your neightbor as yourself. Nowhere in that comand is there anything on homosexuality, nor do I think that I can reconcile that comand to the anti-gay teaching, and I don't want to try.

The Cardinal: "Therefore it is a type of wound in the exercise of the priesthood, in forming relations with others. And precisely for this reason we say that something isn't right in the psyche of such a man."

So, homosexuals cannot form relations properly with others? Fr. Mychael Judge, the chaplain of the NY Fire Department, died on 9/11 trying to minister to the victims of that day. There is a well-known picture of firefighters carrying his broken body after he was killed. He died in the service of others. Christ said a man could have no greater love than to give his life for his friends. Fr. Judge was a homosexual.

I am afraid there is something not right in the psyche of men such as Cardinal Grocholewski and Pope Benedict rather than in the psyche of Fr. Judge and other homosexuals.

This is not about who can or cannot serve the church. This is about Human Resources. The church is reacting to having to pay out millions and millions for turning a blind eye to bad employees for decades.

If you have have an employee who is abusing someone, you need to deal with that situation. Narrowing your selection process for new workers to the point of absurdity will not make your organization any stronger.

Ach, Irish Guy!

Ye, don't know your history, lad! The Church didn't become the way it is because Jesus told it to become a secretative monarchy! It began when the Christian Church got cozy with the Roman Emperors (e.g. Byzantine version), then consecrated Charlegmagne as Holy Roman Emperor. From that point on---the Church developed more and more into the trappings of an empire, with a leader (pope) who began claiming infallibility 150 years ago.

But as far as the here and now---we still have rights under the current Canon Law. And here they are:
1) All Catholics have the right to follow their informed consciences in all matters {Canon 748.1}

2) All Catholics have the right to a voice in all decisions that affect them, including the choosing of their leaders {Canon 218 et al}

3) All Catholics have the right to have their leaders accontable to them {Canon 492; Canon 1287}

4) All Catholics have the right to express publicly their dissent in regard to decisions made by church authorities {Canons 212; 218, 753}

5) All Catholics regardless of race, age, nationality, sex or sexual orientation, state of life or social position have the right to receive all the sacraments for which they are adequately prepared to receive. {Canons 213; 843}.

The only reason the hierarchy doesn't change more---is because they honestly believe that the laity doesn't know anything about church history, doesn't know anything about church law (Canon law) or that the laity does not have the courage or will to hold the hierarchy accountable to them.

Cardinal Grocholewski said that even men that are without sin are not fit to be ordained (if they are gay). What a prejudiced statement. Look at Father John Corapi. He was surely not without sin. He used cocaine and other drugs and engaged in promiscuous sex by his own admission. Would all those who think all gay men should be denied the priesthood because they are too sinful think that Father Corapi should have been denied because of his sins? Many of the same people that hate gay people have great respect and love for Father Corapi even though he has not lived a perfect life. Priests are only human and are sinners like the rest of us, but many of these imperfect men have become saints and I am sure that many of them were "gay." If even men "without sin" are denied the priesthood, how many priests will we have?

I disagree with only one point: a chaste homosexual man should be able to be a priest. But it is undoubtedly a disordered state; whether that disorder impedes someone from properly serving God is a different situation altogether.

But assessment of candidates for the priesthood and consequences for the men who abused the countless boys during the past several decades was long overdue.

Talk about removing the log from ones own eye! What if come the ressurection, Jesus is GAY? Or jesus comes and has stern words with the churches that dissallow/discriminate against gays?

I'd like to call your readers' attention to a novel just published on the subject of homosexuality and priests available at the above link and on GoogleBooks. THE HILLS OF TRIUMPH. The problem is serious enough for good thoughtful literature not only news.