Posted on 05/06/2002 7:06:08 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
PHILADELPHIA- Mary Louise Cervone has been a practicing Roman Catholic all her life and, as a lesbian, has long hoped for acceptance from the church.
But finding a welcoming place has never been easy and now with the clergy sex abuse scandals raging in dioceses across the country, Cervone and other gay Catholics feel that homosexuals are being scapegoated by church leaders.
Most of the victims of priestly abuse are adolescent boys, leading some Catholics to conclude that there is a link between homosexuality and the abuse of minors.
Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua last week called homosexuality an "aberration, a moral evil" and said the archdiocese tries to screen out gay priests, suggesting that they were more likely to commit child abuse.
And 100 gay advocates protested outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Sunday after Monsignor Eugene Clark reportedly made similar comments April 21. The New York Archdiocese has said Clark was speaking for himself and not the archdiocese.
Clinicians say no credible data exists on the number of abusive priests who are homosexual and there is no evidence that homosexuals are more likely than heterosexuals to molest children.
Cervone, the president of Dignity/USA, a national gay Catholic activist organization, thinks homosexuals are being unfairly targeted.
"It's wrong," she said. "There's no data to support it. There's not even any data collected by the Catholic church. It's the arrogance of the church leaders, this feeble attempt to blame the whole crisis of clergy on the gay community."
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based gay Catholic advocacy group, said the organization has been getting calls from concerned gay priests and parishioners.
"It's a new phase of anger toward church leaders," DeBernardo said.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the recent statements do not reflect the usual church stance, which is that homosexual or heterosexual men can be priests if they are celibate.
She added that the church does not reject gay Catholics. What it teaches is that being homosexual isn't a sin, but being a sexually active gay is.
"I think the church tries to be open to all Catholics who are accepting of the church's teachings," Walsh said. "It's a difficult point for homosexual Catholics that the church condemns homosexual activity."
Both Dignity/USA, which has been banned from meeting in Philadelphia churches, and New Ways plan to speak on behalf of gay Catholic rights at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' general meeting in Dallas beginning June 13.
Over the years, such efforts have become more common as gays have fought for greater acceptance in the church.
"As gay people become more accepted in society, more Catholics are coming out," said Donal Godfrey, an Irish Jesuit priest who is working on a doctorate at the University of San Francisco.
"If you look at the life of Jesus, he was close to people who were marginalized. If we're meant to be following him, people who are marginalized should be comfortable in our churches."
The number of gay Catholics is hard to judge, but DeBernardo said he believes it is around 10 percent, roughly similar to some estimates of the general population.
Some wonder why homosexuals would stick with the church. Gay Catholics say their faith is a piece of their identity.
"It isn't an option for me," said Tom Streeper another member of Dignity in Philadelphia. "That's the way I was raised and it's part of who I am."
They forget to add one more adjective...Cafeteria; as in practicing cafeteria Catholic.
"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
"Rich" doesn't just apply to material means.
Jesus loves all of us, infinitely. That's not the problem.
The core issue is how we respond to that Love.
Bishops' meetings are held in hotel ballrooms. I'm sure the security for this meeting will be the tightest ever.
I'm not aware that the bishops entertain lectures from grievance groups when they convene, either.
Then why is virtually every case that has come to light in the media a male who was molested?
I disagree.
Having wealth can be a hurdle to get over on the road to salvation. Those who have wealth very often feel superior to others and trust in their wealth to solve all human problems they may encounter. They think they don't 'need' God and reject the need for a savior. Think Ted Turner.
Jesus loves all of us, infinitely. That's not the problem.
Yes, I agree there.
Christ's love is inclusive of all, regardless of our position in life. He clearly showed that during His earthly ministry, making personal contact with prostitutes, tax collectors, many of the poor.
The core issue is how we respond to that Love.
Agreed, again.
I simply contend, as Jesus did, that having great wealth can be an obstacle to seeking salvation.
Christians have Christ and so, already have everything ('wealth') regardless of current finincial or social status as Christ has already overcome the world. The fact that some Christians may lose sight of this is sad but not unusual.
It's not like Dignity's plans are secret -- instructions for a letter-writing campaign are posted right on their home page.
Find another church, Mary Louise, a practicing homosexual has never been accepted in the Roman Catholic Church. Why would someone who is not a practicing homosexual take such pains to define themselves as gay? If you're chaste, celibate and have homosexual impulses and want to be accepted by the Church then shut up about it. No one cares.
Too bad.
It's God's rule.
Deal with it.
My point exactly! By the way I think in the rich man and the eye of the needle story the last verse is "what is impossible with man is possible with God". Jesus was correcting the misunderstanding that worldly success was alwasy a product of God's favour on someone. The poor had previously been under the misapprehension that to be poor meant that you did not find favour with God. Guess who lead them to beleive that - mainly the rich and powerful. No wonder the truth that Jesus spoke had such a profound effect on the poor : Jesus gave them hope that God might indeed love them and care about them personally.
God Bless
Mel
LOL! Like all those "fallen-away conservatives" and "recovering" postmodern neo-cons???
In a hotel function room I suppose. That's cutting it pretty fine. You could almost call it Clintonesque.
Ok then, what percentage of the current abuse cases involve the priests molesting little boys? Da bing da boom! There's your evidence!
Next!
I think spinkspur nailed it -- they are not going to address the Bishops, rather they will be there to address the media circus.
SD
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