Mark Steyn: Why progressive Westerners never understood John Paul II

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 04/05/05 | Mark Steyn

[foreshadowed at waco]

I think another reason for the pedophilia, largely homosexual in nature, is that entering the priesthood was seen as a life solution for one's homosexual son when I was a kid in the late 50s and early 60s. Open homosexuality was not an option for immature young men since it required great courage to leave home, move to the city, and pursue a free lifestyle. Living in the home community was simply not an option for Irish and Italian Catholic families anyway. The priesthood was seen as a refuge from the world and celebacy meant no sex at all--therefore no homosexual sex.

I don't think people realized that the homosexual urge would come out and see the light of day despite attempts to suppress it. I really don't think that the issue of pedophilia even entered peoples' heads since no one would have talked about it since it is right up there with incest as a major taboo. (I have 2 women friends who were studying for the convent when they underwent mandatory psychological counseling and it was revealed that they had each been victims of incest...they both continued counseling, left the convent, and eventually married and had families.) BTW an excellent film "Mass Appeal' with Jack Lemmon explores the issue of homosexuality within the Church in a respectful manner--and Jack Lemmon is sensational as always.

[Fred]

There is plenty of divorce in married clergy. It is not apples and oranges. It is a problem that has to be taken in to consideration when debating these types of changes.

Simple answers do no make for good solutions.....


Regarding the rites that do allow marriage. Any American who wants to be a married priest is FREE TO JOIN THAT
RITE.....and abide by that rites disciplines...that is an option that NEVER GETS ANY ATTENTION... I wonder why???

[GirlShortstop]

The root of the Pope's thinking - that there are eternal truths no one can change even if one wanted to - is completely incomprehensible to the progressivist mindset. There are no absolute truths, everything's in play, and by "consensus" all we're really arguing is the rate of concession to the inevitable: abortion's here to stay, gay marriage will be here any day now, in a year or two it'll be something else - it's all gonna happen anyway, man, so why be the last squaresville daddy-o on the block?

Thanks ninenot!   bttt

[CharlieOK1]

add me please Pokey

[Jabba the Nutt]

Based on what information? In 180 AD, Christianity was widespread in Northern Africa, along the Mediterrean Sea, but there were not many blacks living there.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Apparently, the author was keen to consider that African doesn't equal black, but had reason to contend that Victor, unlike Gelasius, was black.

I think Steyn assumed that an African equaled black.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Where's the information that any of the African Popes were black?

[iconoclast]

I'm not your personal Google service man.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Hey, I'm not the guy making the claim, you and Mark Steyn are. I'm just asking for evidence. Don't make the claim, if you can't back it up.