Posted on 04/03/2002 10:49:38 AM PST by Antoninus
I agree! In no way am I trying to say that this problem is a result of the discipline of celibacy!
True. But the purpose of the church is to win souls to Christ, not make it more difficult for them. <p
I think your comment is precisely, 100% spot on, and I thank you for it.
AB
I agree again. I have no problem with the celibacy discipline. Nor do I have a problem with married priests. Celibate or married, if they are living their sacred orders according to Church law and doctrine and truly shepherding God's people, that's what matters to me. Fidelity to Christ and His Body; the only thing that matters.
Their sexual orientation then doesn't matter?
I didn't say that! That's up to the Magisterium. There are rumblings in the Vatican that it most certainly does matter, but I am not about to speculate on what the church is going to decide.
I agree. There are LOTS of candidates out there who have been turned away from one seminary or another because they weren't "conformist" enough: They didn't flit. They didn't pluck their eyebrows. They prayed the rosary and spent time before the Blessed Sacrament. Yes, they will all try again as soon as it is safe for them to knock on the door of a seminary and not have to run the risk of being hit on by Father Brucie.
Thanks. Finally found someone on this thread who agree with me.
You really DON'T know why?? Think...
I don't pretend to have the answers to these questions, but my gut tells me that a witchhunt for homosexual candidates to the priesthood or marriage is as naive a solution for the present crisis as calling for an end to celibacy. That is, I don't believe that all men with homosexual temptations make bad priests, or even bad husbands and fathers, for that matter. In the end, I believe it all comes down to the individual's cooperation with God's grace to live chastely. JMO.
Thank God for your response. I agree with you totally. It's really quite a struggle fighting this battle. Now I don't feel so completely alone. In truth--It's all about grace. Everything is grace.
What's the point of finding out who's "dedicated and devout"? It might make you feel good, but American Catholics are not going to drive an hour each way to Mass, nor should they.
Nor should they have to tolerate third-world priests imported in, just so celibacy can be preserved. We've got a newly-ordained Hispanic priest in our parish who has to read his sermons and frequently asks me when I lector, before Mass, how to pronounce certain words. It's almost painful to have to attend one of his Masses.
There are some on this site who are almost salivating to see the priesthood reduced to some "remnant" of men who will drag the Church back to 1950.
Anyway, I hope the celestial and temporal authorities will deal strongly with any priest (regardless of orientation) who breaks his vow of chastity. That being said, I pray for those priests who have kept to their vows and who have to suffer along with the bad apples.
but my gut tells me that a witchhunt for homosexual candidates
I agree that there should be no WITCHHUNT, but the Church most deal directly for positive affects with the active homosexuals already in the priesthood. Having many a priest friend and knowing what they know; believe me, they know where the trouble is. The bishops know where the trouble is. Its a matter of "do they want to deal with it". I don't think they have any choice any longer.
PS: LOL! and they won't need peter-meters to resolve the majority of the problem.
After Vatican 2, things chaged radically. So many of the Christian Brothers I had in high school and college left the order and got married. Many of them are still active with the brothers and have their own society. These men were wonderful, caring people who cared for and educated us. It was a tragedy to see them leave the order.
So much changed after Vatican 2. Some changes were for the better, but others have been disasterous. Today, we have a priesthood, brotherhood and sisterhood, each of which is full of aging religious. I think the average age of the US nun is 67.
The US Catholic Church is the strongest Catholic Church in the world due to its membership. Yet, we are governed by the leaders in the Vatican who bear little cultural resemblence to us. It is past time for the Church to allow priests to marry. After all, there are married priests in the Roman Catholic Church (Episcopal converts) and the Eastern Rites allow marriage.
Further, if we are allowing girls to be altar servers, then why not women priests. Historically, altar servers have been a key source of vocations. If girs cannot become priests, then every girl who is an altar server is replacing a boy who has the potential to join the priesthood.
Then St. Benedict ought not to have founded his order and written the Holy Rule that saved civilization from the dark ages. Jeeeeeesh! Goofy!
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