Seminary ouster of outspoken gay points up issues

The Boston Globe ^ | February 26, 2002 | Sacha Pfeiffer

[american colleen]

As a student at Harvard and then Yale, where different lifestyles mix uneventfully, Gavan Meehan found it easy and comfortable to be publicly gay. But after an inner tug to the priesthood drew him last year to St. John's Seminary in Brighton, his upfront acknowledgement of his sexual orientation brought a far different response.

[american colleen]

Where do I start?

Father Coyne is supposed to be one of the more "orthodox" priests in the Boston Archdiocese. Has he not seen, or is he not aware of the 1961 Vatican directive that indicates NO men of homosexual orientation shall be ordained?

I am fit to be tied and I am searching for Fr. Coyne's e-mail address so I can send him the statement from the Vatican barring homosexuals from being ordained. So far no luck, but I will find it.

[american colleen]

GRRRR...

[pegleg]

''A man who is same-sex oriented can be ordained as long as he understands and is accepting of the promise of celibacy as the church understands it,'' Coyne said. ''The judgment call is not based on whether a man is gay or not. The judgment call is whether or not a man is committed to a celibate lifestyle and all that entails.''

At the same time, a man is who opposite sex oriented can be ordained as long as he understands and is accepting of the vow of celibacy. Why is it when a heterosexual seminarian is dismissed we don’t hear about it and when a gay candidate is dismissed they use the dismissal as a platform to complain about the Church?

Also, at a church gathering in Hartford, he was critical of the seminary for teaching that homosexuality is a moral choice and for discouraging discussions about ordination of women.

Bishop Lennon made the right decision not to ordain Meehan. He would have been a problem.

[Catholicguy]

As for homophobia, Meehan said he sometimes heard students make cruel jokes and derisive comments about homosexuals, especially after the sex abuse scandal erupted in January and the issue of whether gay priests are partly to blame for the scandal became a matter of public debate.

<> Oh my,...Tsk, tsk, there must be action taken...<>

[american colleen]

You are right, Meehan would have been a problem. My beef is with Fr. Coyne's statement:
''A man who is same-sex oriented can be ordained as long as he understands and is accepting of the promise of celibacy as the church understands it,'' Coyne said. ''The judgment call is not based on whether a man is gay or not. The judgment call is whether or not a man is committed to a celibate lifestyle and all that entails.''

When the Vatican clearly says:
"Those affected by the perverse inclination to homosexuality or pederasty should be excluded from religious vows and ordination," because priestly ministry would place such persons in "grave danger".

There was a second collection taken up in my parish (probably all parishes within the Arch. of Boston) a few months ago for the St. John's Seminary. I remember my parish priest told us we should contribute because the seminary has been cleaned up. He must have forgotten to add: "of course, it depends on the meaning of 'cleaned up'."

I'm just disgusted.

[american colleen]

LOL!

But the issue to my way of thinking, is how did this guy get in the seminary in the first place? He was up front about his sexual orientation and it was known that he was afflicted with same sex attraction. Do the powers that be just throw out the disruptive homosexuals who are vocal and leave in the quiet homosexuals? How does this square with the Vatican directive of 1961?

[Desdemona]

Still, the Catholic Church has no uniform policy on gay priests and guidelines on admitting gay men vary by seminary.

WHAT???

[FormerLib]

Meehan sent an angry letter to Lennon and other church officials accusing two students of violating their celibacy vow by having sex in a Boston department store dressing room, although he now acknowledges that he had no direct evidence to support his charge.

Ok, so he bears false witness in addition to being a sodomite and he wonders why he won't make a good priest? I think he's missing a few basic points.

"I felt like I had to point out the hypocrisy," said Meehan. "If you talk about being gay, even if you're celibate..."

I wonder, when he "talk(s) about being gay", does he ever use the word "Abomination?"

[american colleen]

I know! The statement should have read "Still, the AmChurch has no uniform policy on gay priests and guidelines on admitting gay men vary by seminary."

Hey, I've been dying to tell this to someone cuz the glow is still on... I attended Mass and had lunch with Deal Hudson yesterday!!! He flew into Boston just to meet with some of the faithful who deal with VOTF (VOTF is really strong and divisive here). He did this for nothing, he only wanted to give moral support. Anyhow, he was fantastic (and lest I change the subject) he cited the stats he printed in the December edition of Crisis magazine (and we each got a free copy, too) detailing how 72% of Vat II generation priests say Catholics can disagree with Church teachings and "remain faithful" and only 60% say that JPII's moral views are "about right."

My point is that the statement you cited is really no surprise when the majority of priests disagree with, and do not teach what the magesterium teaches, but still consider themselves "faithful Catholics."

[pegleg]

"Those affected by the perverse inclination to homosexuality or pederasty should be excluded from religious vows and ordination," because priestly ministry would place such persons in "grave danger".

That’s my point. The key word here is perverse. Fr. Coyne was correct when he stated The judgment call is whether or not a man is committed to a celibate lifestyle and all that entails.''

Granted a homosexual orientation is disordered however, I wouldn’t conclude it’s impossible for someone with a homosexual orientation to be celibate.

[american colleen]

I wonder, when he "talk(s) about being gay", does he ever use the word "Abomination?"

My guess is no.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Coyne visits at St. Edward the Confessor on weekends.

Rev. Christopher J.Coyne Visiting Priest Weekends 616-254-2610

[american colleen]

Granted a homosexual orientation is disordered however, I wouldn’t conclude it’s impossible for someone with a homosexual orientation to be celibate.

Me neither. However, in light of the current "situation," I would err on the side of no admittance. After all, ALL priests take the vow of celibacy freely and are taught (I think) all during seminary that they are to be celibate. Taking into consideration the abusing priests is one aspect of homosexuality, but lest we forget, priests are dying from AIDS at a rate approx. four times greater than the average of the homosexual population. Something ain't right with "Those affected by the perverse inclination to homosexuality" it seems.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

reverend_chris_coyne@rcab.org

Let me know if you get a response.

[pegleg]

However, in light of the current "situation," I would err on the side of no admittance.

It appears that's the current situation and if that's what it takes so be it. I just didn't see anything wrong with Father Coyne's statement.

[Desdemona]

but lest we forget, priests are dying from AIDS at a rate approx. four times greater than the average of the homosexual population.

And this number should be ZERO.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

The key word here is perverse.

No the key phrase is perverse inclination along with the definition of perverse. The bottom line is that the ordination of homosexuals and pedophiles was banned in writing in 1961, whether they are in the closet, out, celibate or active. Coyne and all the other homosexual apologists in the episcopacy and laity want to split hairs and that is a right they do not have in the Church.

perverse (per-vûrs´, pûr´vûrs´) adjective
1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted.
2. Obstinately persisting in an error or a fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn.
3. a. Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict. b. Arising from such a disposition. See synonyms at contrary.
4. Cranky; peevish.

Excerpted from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from INSO Corporation; further reproduction and distribution in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.

[american colleen]

Wow! Thanks very much. I did a search on the Archdiocese website this morning and found nothing... you are a better man than I am (no kidding!).

I will write a short and concise (I hope) note to him and ask him to clarify his stance and the 1961 Vatican directive. If I get a reply, I will post it here. I'm just sick and tired of the lack of adherence to magisterium teaching that I find here. Plus, VOTF supports the ordination of homosexuals (and women and married priests)... that should tell us something.

[american colleen]

I'm having a hard time understanding where you are coming from... I read Fr. Coyne as saying that homosexuals can be admitted and ordained as priests as long as they embrace celibacy. But I read the 1961 Vatican statement on homosexuals as saying that they cannot be admitted or ordained because it would put them in grave danger.

I don't see any "wiggle" room here, what am I missing?

[Salvation]

Do you know what parish he is in.

Go to USCCB site, then Archdioces/Diocese, then parishes and you should locate him. If that fails you can email the Archdicocese about his whereabouts. Maybe he is of their staff?? (Hopefully wrong there, Salvation!)