Is he a celibate?
Indeed - is he celibate?
That’s the key - otherwise he’s mocking his vows before God and mocking the Church.
Looks like son #6 didn’t get the attention from dad.....
That's actually a good question. If he's obedient to God's laws, then he's not that much different (one might argue) from somebody who really likes to speed, but doesn't because he knows that God has commanded us to obey our earthly rulers.
Please don't start flaming me over comparing homosexuality to speeding, because I'm not.
What I'm trying to point out is that we all fall short of God's glory and perfection, and the only cure for missing that mark is the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross.
If he’s celibate... it’s irrelevant.
And is he repentant?
All who have sin, who struggle with sin, can confess it to be what it is and that The Lord is right and they, or rather their flesh, is not. They then can bring forth fruits consistent with repentance.
When Paul listed off those who will not enter the Kingdom he followed it with “and such were some of you”.
If this priest, or any clergyman, or any layman, made this revelation in the context of confessing it to be sin, and also expressing his commitment to not entertain the sin but to oppose it, reject the sin, by the power of the HS and also in manly fashion ... that would be one thing.
But if it’s being cast out there as if it is somehow okay, somehow not sin, then even if celebrate for other reasons that would show that such a person is still unrepentant.
It doesn’t matter if he is celibate. He has shown he is psychologically unfit for the priesthood with a disordered inclination.
Secondly, if he is going to be living in a community or a rectory with another priest, he is putting himself in the near occasion of sin, even if the other priest has no interest in reciprocating.
Are priests allowed to live with women? No. Why? Because they would be in a continual state of temptation. So why in blazes would this guy be allowed to live with someone he is sexually attracted to?
But of course, we know that gays don’t want to be treated equally, they want to rewrite the laws of nature to suit their insanity.
No such thing as a celibate homosexual.
Declaring that "I'm gay" answers that question. You can't be "gay" and not endorse it. It's a political term.