No more "gay" priests?!

[mecch]

I guess priests aren't supposed to practice any sexuality.  But if I understand this article correctly, it now becomes increasingly difficult to be ordained if one has a gay orientation.

I guess the church brings this on itself with all the child abusers and child abuse cover ups.

But its a pity that the good "gay" potential priests will now suffer job discrimmination or never get to become priests at all.

And it seems to make an easy connection between child abuser = gay.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/nyregion/31gay.html?src=me&ref=general


 

[aztecan]

Yep, the vatican, et al, is at it again.

Here are two interesting tidbits:

?But it has to do with our view of marriage,? he said. ?A priest can only give his life to the church in the sense that a man gives his life to a female spouse. A homosexual man cannot have the same relationship. It?s not about condemning anybody. It?s about our world view.?

So, the catholic church is now demonizing not just gay priests and gay men who want to be priests or brothers, but also those who have failed romances and those with HIV?

?But it has to do with our view of marriage,? he said. ?A priest can only give his life to the church in the sense that a man gives his life to a female spouse. A homosexual man cannot have the same relationship. It?s not about condemning anybody. It?s about our world view.

My question would be, why would a gay man, lesbian woman, transgendered person or a bisexual, trust anyone in the catholic church to treat them decently if the recruitment is this bastardized?

UGH,

Mark

[Matty the Damned]

Given that the Church considers homosexuality a grave moral failing this news seems unsurprising. In fact I thought the Church had enacted a prohibition on known sodomites in the ranks a couple of years back.

Also, I'm sorry to tell you Mecch, that it most likely applies to these chaps too:

Which is a shame. I think you'd make a nifty Swiss Guard. Certainly the uniform is very you.

MtD

[leatherman]

My question would be, why would a gay man, lesbian woman, transgendered person or a bisexual, trust anyone in the catholic church to treat them decently...

well exactly!

for a religion (like my old fundamental baptist one too) that believes that homosexuality is morally unacceptable (ie a "sin") why anyone would want to be a member of such a organization, much less a "leader" in said organization, is totally beyond me.

Gays in Protestant or Catholic (Muslim, Mormon, etc) churches are just as dingy as gays in the Republican party. All of those organizations denounce homosexuality, so no one should be surprised when those orgs don't promote any homosexual "rights" or when they directly attack homosexuals.

It's what they do, it's who they are, it's what they believe. Doh!

[tednlou2]

I've always thought how the media uses the term gay priests when talking about the sex abuse.  I suppose if the boys were like 16 and 17, then I don't consider that the same as molesting a young boy.  It is still a betrayal of trust.  When they molest young boys who haven't gone through puberty yet, that definitely isn't gay but pedophiles.  Big difference and I don't like when they are called gay.

If I were a good priest today, I would always feel people were suspicious of me.  I would also be sure to never be alone with a young boy.  From all the things I've read, this has been going on for centuries. 

[mecch]

And as for the Swiss Guard, the murders a couple of years ago are still swimming in "gay secrets" rumours.  Last year's "vatican rentboys" scandal seems to have died down - a pity because I was looking forward to the "Dei della Basilica" hot calendar.  

Sinead O'Connor started fighting child abuse in the Catholic church in Ireland years ago.  Recently on TV she said she'd be damned if she stopped being Catholic over it, since to her its about her faith in God. She thought the church leadership needed to wake up, be good, and change their ways.  (Hey last time I heard she was a harikrishna! must have been the early 90's!)

These are centuries old questions in established religions.  Is my relationship with god mitigated by my church.

When I was in my 20's and 30's I thought about the Catholic church as a quaint relic of my childhood and mixed bag of values in the modern world. My leftist politics made me want to despise it, but I couldn't bring myself to that.  I remember Warhol had said he loved going to church because it was a glamorous and pretty place, all those rituals and costumes, etc etc.  I kind of agreed.

Then more and more child abuse scandals came out and more and more filth about the corruption and downright evil way the church protects itself and I though the "church" had to go.

Now I do like Sinead's hypothesis. If you have faith - reclaim the way your church practices on behalf of your faith.

That's why it seems progressive to advocate for the rights of gays to become priests - its a vast organisation and therefore potentially a correct "employer" for a career in service of god and the community.

[Dachshund]

They can always become flight attendants.

[fearless]

I wonder how many 'applicants' are actually ever refused when such small numbers of men show any interest in joining the seminary in the first place.

Sounds more like an attempt from the church to distract attention from the real problem - paedophile priests. In the US alone there have been something like 7 - 8,000 child sex abuse claims in roughly the last 20 years (i think the global figure is put at about 30,000 allegations over the last 20 years). Studies have found that about 80% of the allegations are credible.

Why anyone, gay/straight/male/female/boy/girl would want to associate in any way with such an organisation is beyond me.

[Ann]

Sinead O'Connor wrote an article about the Catholic paedophile scandal this past March and was also interviewed for CNN. Click here for the article and click here to watch the video.

[megasept]

...When they molest young boys who haven't gone through puberty yet, that definitely isn't gay but pedophiles.  

Absolutely. It's about the rape and molestation of children! But the reactionaries who run the Vatican had a simple (internal) thesis. "Since gays molest boys then lets not have so many gays; besides, it's those liberal American Catholics who caused the whole permissive sexual thing and brought these scandals upon our Holy Church"....But the glaring problem with that theory is the most cherished bastions of conservative Catholicism have had their own doings exposed, especially recently. Think: Ireland and Mexico, for two.

It's 2010. Why should any of us make a painful effort to defend the "right" of Catholic gays (i've known a handful of gay priests) to join a priesthood that publicly teaches "homosexuality is intrinsically evil" when that teaching dehumanizes humans everywhere? No more shilling for hatred! Let progressive Catholics join an existing order (like parts of the Anglican church) or form a new order, based on the divinity and worth of each human being. Which is more important, a gay man's chance to join a priesthood, or one less young Catholic person (usually male) committing suicide due to panic over conflicted (gay) sexuality?

Time for criminal prosecutions of all those that cover up crimes against children! It starts at the top---it is truly evil. I won't hold my breath.

-Steven (aka    megasept)

[red_Dragon888]

The church was never what it seemed and there will sex by priest, upon priest, and the same with nuns.  The only thing that will change is that they do not want obviously gay priest or nuns.