As Scandal Keeps Growing, Church and Its Faithful Reel

Celibacy requirements keep some straight men from following the path to the priesthood. There are other reasons. The Irish, Polish and Italian urban enclaves which were mostly Catholic created a cultural respect for the priesthood and a welcoming of those who chose it. These sub-cultural pockets have long ago dispersed into the more "diverse" suburbs. Very few towns or neighborhoods are now considered "Catholic". Neighboring Protestants or Jews did not hold the priesthood or Priests in the same high regard. This helped to diminish a societal encouragement toward thepriesthood. These allowed the door to be opened to homosexuals who were looking for a safe way to live without answering questions about marriage.

Dropping celibacy would not stop these crimes against children. These homosexuals are not violating their oath by engaging with other adults. They are targeting kids. In the general population homosexuals commit sex crimes against children in numbers far exceeding their % of the population. Not a single story that I have read about these deviate priests refers to a female victim. Until the press starts to acknowledge this aspect the full problem will not be addressed.

The Church is, in my opinion, criminally responsible for every act against a child that was committed by a priest after that priest was known to be a pederast. The Bishops' silence has cost individual victims untold anguish and will, at the end of the day, have cost the church any claim to moral high ground.

The NYTimes has done its best to ignore it--perpetuating, at least to its readers, the dichotomy between 'pedophiles' and homosexuals.

There is a dichotomy between pedophiles and homosexuals.

Most pedophiles (abuse of children under 12) are heterosexual males.

Most of the priests who've been accused of sexual abuse are homosexuals who have abused TEENAGE BOYS, not children.

There is a difference. The NYT calls these priest pedophiles, but they are not. They are homosexuals who are preying on teenage males.

. "No bishop wants to shut down Catholic Charities to pay off settlements."

Of course they hate to give it up. It's no more a real charity than the same scam being run by Protestants,Jews,Hare Krisnas,or any other religious cult. These so-called "Charities" are really money-making businesses.

It is not necessarily a doctrine, nor is it necessarily new. The invalidity (nullity) of marriage vows would be a precedent. I am not certain what is required for eligibility for ordination--that is, if an already-established canonical impediment is homosexuality, active or not. Yes, it would be quite messy if ALL ordained homosexuals became 'lay' people, suddenly.

But you say, and I disagree, that Navarro-Valls' statement was 'offhand.'

Perhaps.

At least as far as Catholic Charities are concerned, you don't know what you're talking about.

Really? Then why did the archdiocese (sp) in San Francisco cave-in and agree to pay "same sex" benefits to the roomies of homosexuals who work for them? Think it MIGHT have something to do with Willie Brown threatening to cancel the 5 MILLION DOLLAR PER YEAR CONTRACT the city has with them to provide homeless shelters,soup kitchens,battered women's shelters,etc,etc,etc? Or do you think the local Church is losing money at 5 Million per year to do these things?

Organized religion is a competitive business,and the only real difference between the Catholic Church and the other cults is that the Catholics are more successful because they have been at it longer.

Organized religion is a competitive business,and the only real difference between the Catholic Church and the other cults is that the Catholics are more successful because they have been at it longer.

Cults? I guess that's what a burned-out old fool sitting in his trailer in his underwear would call them.

I strongly urge everyone here to take a look at this site - and buy the book.

Depressing stuff.

But the first step to ending a problem is to admit you have one.

And there's no question, unfortunately, that the Church has one.

Goodbye! Good Men

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