Posted on 09/19/2005 4:11:33 PM PDT by scripter
Pope Benedict XVI has given his approval to a new Vatican policy document indicating that men with homosexual tendencies should not be ordained as Catholic priests, reports Catholic World News.
The policy statement is a direct result of the pope's concern about the pedophilia scandal in the church – especially in the U.S.
The new document, prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education in response to a request made by the late Pope John Paul II in 1994, will be published soon. It will take the form of an "Instruction," signed by the prefect and secretary of the congregation: Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski and Archbishop Michael Miller, according to the report.
The report was first referenced on Joseph Farah's nationally syndicated radio program last week by Raymond Arroyo, author of the new book "Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles." Arroyo has covered the papacy more than any other journalist
The text, approved by Benedict at the end of August, says that homosexual men should not be admitted to seminaries even if they are celibate, because their condition suggests a serious personality disorder that detracts from their ability to serve as ministers, says the CWN report.
Priests who have already been ordained, if they suffer from homosexual impulses, are strongly urged to renew their dedication to chastity and a manner of life appropriate to the priesthood.
The "Instruction" does not represent a change in church teaching or policy, according to the Vatican.
Catholic leaders have consistently taught that homosexual men should not be ordained to the priesthood. Pope John XXIII approved a formal policy to that effect, which still remains in effect. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, that policy was widely ignored, particularly in North America.
The Congregation for Catholic Education prepared the "Instruction" after soliciting advice from all of the world's bishops, from psychologists and from moral theologians. A draft was then circulated among the Vatican dicasteries concerned with the issue, notably including the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The pending release of the "Instruction," in the face of certain criticism from liberal forces in America and Western Europe, demonstrates the determination of the Vatican to improve the quality of priestly ministry and to protect the church from some of the scandals that have recently shaken the Catholic community – and no doubt deterred many men from entering priestly training.
Informed sources in Rome indicate that the "Instruction" probably will be made public after the Synod of Bishops, which meets in Rome Oct. 2 through 23.
Vatican Says No Homosexuals in Priesthood – Approved by Pope Benedict
But you must remember that a Priest is called "Father" for a reason. He is supposed to be a father to his flock. I would question the ability of someone who is homosexual adequately act this role. It seems to me that an inclination towards procreation is a necessary condition of fatherhood.
The Catholic Church will have who it decides to have as priests. Meanwhile, Catholic Churches all over America, and all over the world, figure out how to maintain a Christian community without a resident priest.
Once that happens, young men and women will be inspired to become lay leaders of parishes, canonically deputized to do everything but hear confessions and celebrate the Eucharist, as deacons currently do. In fact, some will become deacons.
If the hierarchy decides that it wants circuit rider priests, ala South America, then laymen will assume Church leadership. The Catholic community WILL thrive, with or without resident priests.
I don't know enough about canon law (in fact, know very little about canon law) so can't say if there are any loopholes...I would suppose if a woman disguised herself as a man, and the bishop ordained her thinking she was a man, that would be ruled invalid...but whether someone having homosexual inclinations would be a similar case, I don't know...perhaps the person had honestly persuaded himself at the time of ordination that he wasn't a homosexual, but later changed his mind.
An end to a very very sad chapter in the Church... now we have to filter out those that have already been ordaned. 30 years of a horrible policy have compromised large parts of teh american catholic church...
An end to a very very sad chapter in the Church... now we have to filter out those that have already been ordaned. 30 years of a horrible policy have compromised large parts of teh american catholic church...
But if you're not having sex you're functionally ASEXUAL, not homosexual or heterosexual.
Who cares? As long as priests pass through to consecrate the Eucharist, laymen will adminster parishes and faith communities will thrive, even without resident priests.
The Holy Spirit will not be denied.
It seems to me that the vocation "crisis" is precipitated by people who want to change the Church's agenda, by people who do not support orthodox candidates loyal to magisterial teaching of the Pope and the bishops, and by people who actually discourage viable candidates from seeking priesthood and vowed religious life as the Church defines these ministries.
Archbishop Eldon Curtiss, foreward to Goodbye, Good Men.
In my book Goodbye, Good Men (Regnery, 2002), I investigated an intriguing thesis put forth by Archbishop Elden Curtiss. In 1995 he wrote in the pages of the Social Justice Review that orthodoxy breeds vocations, claiming that religious orders and dioceses that supported orthodox candidates to the priesthood and did not tolerate dissent from the Magisterium had documented increases in the number of candidates. My years of research on this and related topics led me to conclude that the Archbishop’s remarks were sound.
Michael Rose
I've heard that too. But, in order to replace the priests who are retiring or dying off, every diocese would have to ordain numbers in double digits.
This Queen Mary may turn around, but it will take several years.
The Church has got to come to terms with priestless parishes, and lay run parishes, for several decades to come.
I mistyped -- what I meant was that homosexual behavior is immoral but not always illegal whereas pedophilia is immoral AND illegal (in every civilized country I'm aware of).
I don't know what goes on in the heads of men who decide to undertake (if they are honest) a life of celibacy. Certainly they are different from most men. Some may not be attracted to women, some may not have much of a sex drive at all, and some might be attracted to men. If it's not an issue for them and they put their lives and behavior in order and stick with it then they will hopefully make good priest.
But any priest who declares himself a homosexual is probably in the wrong profession. The need for that sort of declaration just doesn't have a place in their lives.
Stop and think about what you are saying. A priest can be celibate, and still fondle and molest young boys, because people like Bill Clinton says "that isn't really sex".
Clinton's definition of the word "celibate" is the reason AIDS is running rampant.
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