From 365Gay.com, a rumor that the Vatican will become even more anti-gay:
The Vatican is preparing to bar gays from entering the priesthood and is considering removing those gays who are already priests.
Of course, 365Gay.com is quoting “People within the church who are familiar with the workings of the Vatican,” so it is just a rumor at this point. But with this Pope, it is certainly a believable one.
The Catholic institution set the new ex-gay guidelines before they became popular: you cannot do anything about being gay, but having gay sex is evil. Catholics have groups like Courage rather than Exodus; they focus on chastity rather than change. But it appears that chastity will not be enough for Pope Benedict XVI; apparently, he is aiming to reverse the Vatican II ordinances that permit Catholics to be homosexual at all.
The Guardian ran a similar story yesterday.
So….who do they believe will become priests? Or priestesses? The RCCI (ROman Catholic Church Inc) already has a “recruitment” problem, which is one reason why they are losing the battle in the third world.
/sarcasm
I don’t recall any church statements linked directly to Vatican II, that expressed tolerance for same-gender attraction.
Though certainly V2’s spirit of openness and reform later encouraged church authorities to make grudging — and temporary — allowances for celibate same-gender attraction.
My only question is, will this be a ban on all those with same-sex attraction, or just those who are sexually active? If the latter then that fits with the RC teaching on priestly celibacy, if the former then it’s a highly provocative act.
My only question is, will this be a ban on all those with same-sex attraction, or just those who are sexually active? If the latter then that fits with the RC teaching on priestly celibacy, if the former then it’s a highly provocative act.
All reports I’ve seen have stated it will be anyone with a homosexual orientation – no matter what their behavior. That is a HUGE change for the church, and represents a major shift in theology for Catholicism.
Until now, gays and straights were both considered equal – spiritually. Play by the Catholic Church’s rules and you will go to heaven. But the Church teaches that a homosexual orientation is not chosen, but “given” and not a sin in and of itself. Now they are stating that men with that orientation basically cannot be trusted in the priesthood. Therefore, the orientation MUST be a sin, or at least represent a defect in the person, which means God either makes mistakes when gay people are born, or he is punishing us with defective souls for some unknown reason.
So officially, Catholics now recognize full humans – straights – and subhumans – gays.
I knew this was coming. The Pope’s head is up his *** if he thinks this will solve the ‘homosexual problem’.
On the one hand, just as ex gay ministries do, the Church attracts gay men in this way.
It’s a means to leave homosexuality through a spiritual life and leave it through celibacy.
What’s so patently obvious is the gender gap issue and the neglect of the FEMALE victims of priests.
Banning gays from the priesthood will solve nothing when it comes to sexual abuse through that office.
If the numbers go way down of those who can participate in the priesthood (women as priests or gay men) the Church doesn’t deserve them and gay men and women deserve better.
This really sets me off.
Heterosexual predators among school teachers, coaches, Scouting and church leaders are far more prevalent and impactful on society because of the risks of pregnancy and that child tethering a victim to their victimizer.
There is no moral authority in fostering prejudice against gay men.
This is another example of disqualifying someone from committing their life to something good, not because of what they DO, but what they ARE.
Vatican to Check U.S. Seminaries on Gay Presence
New York Times
(Wilmington Star-News)
September 15. 2005
https://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050915/ZNYT02/509150342/1004/Local
Investigators appointed by the Vatican have been instructed to review each of the 229 Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States for “evidence of homosexuality” and for faculty members who dissent from church teaching, according to a document prepared to guide the process.
The Vatican document, given to The New York Times yesterday by a priest, surfaces as Catholics await a Vatican ruling on whether homosexuals should be barred from the priesthood.
In a possible indication of the ruling’s contents, the American archbishop who is supervising the seminary review said last week that “anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity or has strong homosexual inclinations,” should not be admitted to a seminary.
Edwin O’Brien, archbishop for the United States military, told The National Catholic Register that the restriction should apply even to those who have not been sexually active for a decade or more.
–snip–