How can Vatican think inner conflict makes a priest safer?

[emad]

Robert McClory, a former priest and professor emeritus of journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism
Published December 11, 2005



The Vatican's recent instruction on barring gays from the seminary may be the worst document issued by the church since it declared in 1866 (three years after the Emancipation Proclamation) that "slavery itself ... is not at all contrary to the divine and natural law."

For centuries, gay priests, bishops, even cardinals have served the church and all its people with dedication and dignity. They were men who had come to terms with their "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" (to use the Vatican's words) and lived chaste and celibate lives. They did what other men who also felt called to serve in the priesthood did: They came to terms with their deep-seated heterosexual tendencies and lived chaste and celibate lives.

Now the church seems to be saying that it wants no more of the former. It does not want candidates for the priesthood who are at peace with who they are and have accepted their gay orientation. On the other hand, the document extends a cautious welcome to those whose homosexual tendencies are only "the manifestation of a transitory problem" and who are struggling to overcome these tendencies. If they can do so at least three years before being ordained deacons, they may proceed on to the priesthood.

As everyone knows, a major yet unstated reason for the publication of this instruction is the priest abuse scandal that has crippled the church and won't go away.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0512110190dec11,1,4333209.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[joeybee12]

1. Yup, the document is just bigotry in search of justification...

...and so of course it doesn't make sense.

[4morewars]

2. "Vatican" and "think" in the same sentence ?

That's too funny ! :rofl:

I don't think the Vatican has ever been out front in the thinking department. Unless that thinking was about increasing their already vast wealth. Isn't that at the root of the entire "celibate" life for priests ? The Vatican didn't want their bishops dying and leaving their fiefdoms to their male heirs.

Weren't they the founders of the flat earth society ? Galileo could probably tell us a thing or two about how the Vatican "thinks."

With their 2000 year history of bass ackward "thinking," I don't really expect them to be progressive on this issue, or ANY issue for that matter.

[MountainLaurel]

3. I vaguely recall a t-shirt

Or a quote that said in reference to the Catholic Church "Remember, these are the same folks who opposed the fork." Does anyone know what that's all about?

[Rich Hunt]

4. I am a civil libertarian

The above author is a former priest. No one is censoring him, so perhaps you could explain why the civil liberties forum is currently flooded with articles obsessing on the Catholic church?

Remember when this forum was combined with civil rights? Well now we have this forum alone, and we're not talking about issues of freedom of expression.