Posted on 01/16/2009 4:14:20 PM PST by Maelstorm
NEW YORK (AP) — A Vatican evaluation of U.S. Roman Catholic seminaries in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal concluded that administrators have largely been effective in rooting out "homosexual behavior" in the schools, although the agency said it persists.
The Congregation for Catholic Education sought a broad review of how the schools screen and educate prospective priests, but gave special attention to teachings on chastity and celibacy. The Vatican also directed evaluators to look for "evidence of homosexuality" in the schools.
In a report U.S. bishops released this week, the Vatican agency noted past "difficulties in the area of morality" within seminaries that "usually but not exclusively" involved "homosexual behavior." The evaluators said the appointment of better administrators in diocesan seminaries "has ensured that such difficulties have been overcome."
"Of course, here and there some case or other of immorality — again, usually homosexual behavior — continues to show up," according to the report. "However, in the main, the superiors now deal with these issues promptly and appropriately."
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
It’s because gays can get married and priests cannot.
I’m born and raised Catholic, and still consider myself to be a Catholic, but I have not met a Priest in years that I consider to be a real man. Why they have allowed their seminaries to be pussified is beyond me. Who in the Catholic church is man enough to wield the sword of St. Peter? Not the nursery school psychologists who pass for priests nowadays.
I understand, but take heart. After all the embarrassing news about priests, it is my feeling that only those with a true vocation will be interested in becoming priests these days. It’s not the exalted job it once was. Few people consider them princes of the church anymore.
The priests ordained during the 60’s and 70’s are mostly the problem. Many are complete milquetoasts! I’ve looked at the young, new priests who’ve just been ordained and they seem more like real men. Anyone becoming a priest today must surely realize he is there to toil in the vineyard and be a servant. And isn’t that what Christ really wanted from them? Keep your eye on the very young ones and see what you think.
I was once very discouraged about it and an old, traditional priest told me not to be afraid for the Church. The Holy Spirit is still in charge. I think of him often and his words still encourage me.
Our rector is a fire-breathing Irish dreadnought who is built like a fireplug, with hands like hams. I would flat be afraid to cross him, and I'm not afraid of very many people.
I wasn't a Catholic then, but I heard that when he used to work for the Chancery back in the late 70s or early 80s, 2 priests here were busted for molesting boys. After disposing of them (one went to prison, the other died in a remote monastery), he made a personal tour of all the parishes and told each and every one of the clergy that if he heard of any more of that sort of thing, he would turn them over to the police - AFTER he personally worked them over. Nobody took him up on the offer, so far as I know, but he's a man of his word and no doubt would have delivered.
One of our Parochial Vicars is an Air Force veteran and a splendid young man, just assigned to us but we had him to dinner and he's a very fine, frank outdoor type. Our last PV but one we lost as he was tapped to direct vocations for the Archdiocese - very charismatic, the young people loved him, he was another athletic type who mountain biked and ran marathons. And the PV after that is probably headed for a mitre - a great big black guy with a mouth full of wisecracks and a heart full of love and courage.
Our second Parochial Vicar is a reed-thin, ascetic type of young man, but if he lacks physical strength and prowess he has moral courage in spades (he's the man who preached the pre-election homily that never mentioned a certain pro-death candidate < cough cough > by name, but made his point perfectly clear.) He fears nothing.
Don't know what your bishop is up to, but ours seems to have chosen well. Our seminary's full too, we have two seminarians assigned to us and they both seem like nice manly young men.
Our rector just celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination . . . he was ordained smack dab in the middle of that generation of priests, but being educated for the priesthood in rural Ireland, I guess he missed it . . .
Fortunately the Father Strum-a-Tunes are retiring now; a lot of them ran off to get married which may have been as well as they didn't stay around to spread their poison.
It’s definitely declining. For one thing, we finally now have a Vatican that is serious about getting rid of gays, a lot of the lousy older bishops have been replaced, and young men are making it clear that they simply will not go to seminaries that are “Pink Palaces.”
Three cheers for BXVI for getting serious about clearing out the bad apples.
And many of the new Bishops are refusing to send the young men who want to become priests to those seminaries. If enough Bishops take that stand, the bad Seminaries will either have to change, or close up shop.
Interesting. Ping for later.
He sounds like our newest Associate Pastor. Fr. Adam is a good homilist, and as often as I get the chance, I'll tell him I liked a particular sermon. Unfortunately, he follows in the footsteps of Fr. Manny, who was with us for the first three years after he was ordained. He was just wonderful with the teenagers, and the adults loved him, as well, but was still as orthodox as they come.
Fr. Adam is so quiet compared to Fr. Manny, that many have not given him a chance, and still mourn the loss of Fr. Manny to a different Parish in the Diocese.
I taught in a Catholic school system in which teachers were requited to participate in a program called VIRTUS that dealt with identifying and dealing with sexual predators.
There was some helpful information, however, the program went out of its way to disassociate homosexual behavior from pedophilia. I found this surprising.
Probably just trying to cover their backsides (heehee poor choice of words) from the politically correct thought police.
One of the problems with conservatives is that, since they are principled, many have a real problem with the incrementalism that the liberals employ as a matter of tactics.
But we didn't get here all at once, and we won't get back all at once either. Thank heavens BXVI has taken the long view and planned carefully. May he be spared to us for a long, long time!
But our last two PVs are a hard act to follow. I mean, when you are used to a guy whose nickname is "Father Crunk" and he has a drivetime radio show . . . . !!!
Come hang out where I live if you want to meet real men who are ordained. I’ve never seen so many as the night 28 Monsignors were made. Every one of them had more than a little swagger to their step.
Our church has always had a policy that no teacher,advisor,bishop will be alone with a child. If there is one child there is the parent or another adult present.
Added to this is no male or female should be alone with members of the opposite sex while conducting church business.
These policies have been in affect for as long as I can remember. They keep good people from making bad decisions.
Policies are made for the weakest of the congregation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.