St. Pat Msgr. Hits Gays On Scandal / Blames woes on 'disorder,' U.S. immorality

New York Daily News ^ | 4/22/02 | NICOLE BODE and GREG GITTRICH

[kattracks]

Edward Cardinal Egan's stand-in at St. Patrick's Cathedral pointedly blamed the priest sex abuse scandal yesterday on homosexuality, a "sex-saturated" society and a constant assault on celibacy by liberals.

In a 15-minute homily from the most prominent Roman Catholic pulpit in the city, Msgr. Eugene Clark labeled the United States "probably the most immoral country" in the Western hemisphere. He also called homosexuality "a disorder" and said gay men shouldn't be allowed to become priests.

Clark, 76, a longtime key player and conservative voice in the Archdiocese of New York, delivered his stinging homily as Egan and other U.S. cardinals left for Rome to meet with the Pope about priestly pedophilia.

After preaching about forgiveness, Clark detailed reasons he believes some priests victimized children. He appeared to place most of the blame on homosexuality, saying the theory that people are born gay "is not true."

"The tendency to homosexuality is a disorder, not a sin," he said. "But the practice of homosexuality is truly sinful."

Some parishioners in the packed pews shifted uneasily, others nodded in agreement and a few walked out. But Clark continued, arguing that it was a "grave mistake" to allow gays in the priesthood. He blamed American society for being "very protective" of homosexuality.

"Homosexuality became in the American exchange of views a protected area," he said. "And unfortunately ... homosexual students were allowed to pass through seminaries. Grave mistake. Not because homosexuals in anyway tend to criminality, but because it is a disorder."

'The Most Immoral Country'

Clark also criticized what he called "the campaign of liberal America against celibacy."

He theorized that priests who have a tendency toward sexually abusing children — a group he pegged at 3% of the nation's clergy — were affected by a barrage of sinful images in society.

"Liberated sex is offered to people all day long, all evening long," he said. "There is nothing quite like it."

"We know — we won't mention it outside the cathedral — we are probably the most immoral country certainly in the Western hemisphere and maybe the larger circle because of the entertainment we suffer and what it's done to our [country's] morals ...," Clark said.

Christine Schubert of St. Paul dashed out of the cathedral midway through the homily. "I left because I realized I have no desire to be connected with the institution of the Catholic Church," said Schubert, 27. "I thought, wouldn't it be great if the entire church walked out?"

But few did. Most parishioners stayed, and many applauded Clark after his sermon.

Marianne Duddy, executive director of Dignity/USA, the nation's largest organization of gay Catholics, called Clark's comments linking the sex scandal with homosexuality "incredibly horrifying and irresponsible."

"This is a poor attempt to deflect attention away from the church's culpability for the sexual abuse of minors by priests and its attempt to cover it up for decades," she added.

But Catholic League President William Donohue praised Clark. "He makes a great deal of sense and to have this said so articulately by one of the brighter priests in the New York area is very encouraging," Donohue said.

"The internal problem in the church is a lack of governance and due to diligence," he added. "But there is no question about it — this is a societywide problem that goes way beyond the Catholic Church."

With Gretchen E. Weber

[Antoninus]

GOD BLESS MONSIGNOR CLARK!!!

I encourage Freepers to contact Msgr. Clark and the NYC Archdiocese expressing thanks for his courageous, encouraging words. You can guess that his persecuation by the Gaystapo has already begun.

Archdiocese of New York
1011 First Avenue
New York NY 10022-4134
Phone: 212-371-1000

Saint Patrick's Cathedral
14 East 51st Street
New York NY 10022
212-753-2261

If anyone has any fax or email addresses, please post.

[afraidfortherepublic]

As Christians we are bound to protect life wherever and under all circumstances.

[helmsman]

An activisty bench would have actually kept abortion illegal. They would have kept it illegal based on them actively pursuing the policy that this nation was founded on God's principles...

No, Roe V Wade was the purest form of judicial activism. The issue was whether or not the states should be allowed to regulate abortion, something which had been done for decades and decades, and which is their constitutional right under the tenth amendment. The foundation for the right to abortion, a nonexistent privacy right said to emanate from several amendments, was invented by the court.

And you should be careful about your insistence that being pro-life is a purely religious position. There are many of us who are not religious, but who nevertheless recognize the importance of protecting all humans from violent acts for the overall good of society. And while I cannot prove to you that an embryo is a human person, it most certainly is a growing organism that possesses human DNA, and that will become a conscious person ultimately. It should, therefore, be given the benefit of the doubt, since it possesses the potential of full personhood. That is the logical approach to take, and does not rely on religious belief at all.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

First off men generally have no binding association to a baby.. back in the 60's and 70's there certainly wasn't any DNA evidence to keep people bound

Paternity test predated DNA testing by close to a hundred years. Polling results demonstrate that support for Roe v Wade is greater among men than women. If any men support abortion because they are 'deferring' to women's judgement, they have been tricked by the media into not knowing what women's judgement actually is.

[Claud]

Are you really willing to bet your salvation on the words of a priest, when it is so easy to read the word of God for yourself?

So easy to read incorrectly apparently. How many denominations are we up to now? I lost count.

[Salman]

NO need to put it in quotes, it’s a disorder and always has been. This paraphilia was removed from the DSM by perversionists for perversionists at the APA.

There was always a difference of opinion within the psychiatric community. No less than Freud thought homosexuality is normal, though later "Freudians" thought otherwise.

This has no bearing one way or the other on "gay rights", or priestly misbehavior.

[eastsider]

The only way to nullify Vatican II is for another council to be convened to declare it an illegitimate (or "robber" : ) council. This isn't going to happen. Irrespective of the papal intrigue that may or may not have led to Vatican II, it will stand as surely as Nicaea I, convened by the Emperor Constantine.

[redhead]

"I love this guy. He's on EWTN frequently."

Wow! Is THIS the guy?? I love to hear him teach. He is wonderful to listen to. Very composed, gentle man. We certainly need more like HIM.

[Almondjoy]

False and it is that way of thinking that led to the Crusades.. God does not intend for us to implement his teachings.. we are merely messengers for the word.. our duty is not to uphold his laws.. he is the judger and heaven or hell is your reward or punishment. Remember that.

[Almondjoy]

Logical? How do you define that as being logical? So because something could become alive then it's illegal? Well according to science monkies became humans so many be should past the same curtsey back to monkies because you never know.. they just might become human someday? Just because something is going to become something else is illogical in itself. Possiblities are fruitless to argue since I can throw back at you.. well the possiblity is there that it could become a human.. there is also a possibility that the woman is going to have a miscarriage so she should abort to save her the pain.. possiblities are not a basis for any good form of logic.

[Almondjoy]

The idea that "it is a woman's choice" most certainly came from the media but I'd like to see the evidence that points to the fact most men support abortion so they can have sex free and without worrying about a baby being born.

[eastsider]

well the possiblity is there that it could become a human...

The taxonomical classification of the human being which is in the womb is based on its DNA, which remains the same from conception till death, and its vitality is based on the process of cell division. Thus, it is not merely possibly human or alive but truly so, and that which is being gestated is a living human being.

[Tribune7]

I think Phil Donohue has declared himself to be an atheist. He was raised Catholic.

[Almondjoy]

But that isn't the arugement.. although I did state it wrong because of course it's always human.. but a living functioning on it's own human being is totally different.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

the evidence that points to the fact most men support abortion so they can have sex free and without worrying about a baby being born.

As you know, scientific polls hardly ever go into 'why' a person takes a position, but only record the position they take. The argument about why men feel this way is from Susan B. Anthony, as I said. Go argue with her about it.

[eastsider]

I'm not really sure what the argument is, but if it's that being a living human being is based on dependence, then anyone undergoing an operation who's hooked up to a heart-lung machine and the like is already dead.

[Aliska]

"I left because I realized I have no desire to be connected with the institution of the Catholic Church,"

Then why did she walk in there?

Cheer up. The homilist was an old fogey (sarcasm).

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

but a living functioning on it's own human being is totally different.

A person living in an iron lung, or with some other form of respirator is not "functioning on it's own", as is true of someone in a coma. I presume that they are 'different' too? How about mental defectives -- they do not truly function on their own. Neither do newborn infants. I mention all of these groups because various governments have approved killing all of them, at one time or another. Just wondering who is on your 'hit list'.

[helmsman]

Just because something is going to become something else is illogical in itself.

An unborn child is a human life that possesses the potential of becoming a thinking being, which is how many define personhood. The fact that a human embryo is biologically human is an established scientific fact. For that reason, it should be protected from violence -- because, if left to it's natural course, it will develop into what even you would consider a human person. There is the certainty, not the possibility, that this will happen, save accidents, miscarriages, malformations, or deliberate acts on the part of an abortionist.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

One thing that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense about libs targeting celibacy as the main issue (aside from the fact that homosexuals would not seek wives) is that marriage, as it exists in our society today, does not necessarily solve the sexual drama. Just look at all the divorces and infidelity. Also...if celibate men supposedly have a stronger tendency toward pedophilia or teenophilia (as claimed by libs), then we should see more cases of divorced, unmarried men assaulting male teenagers. Duh... It would also seem to follow (in that illogic) that unmarried young men would be seeking sex from male teenagers (rather than from females). One is left with the argument that only "celibate" Catholic priests are the class of sex-starved adult males who seek sex from male teenagers. And as Ann Coulter ironically pointed out some time ago in "Should Gay Priests Adopt?", this seems to frame the thesis that Catholicism causes sodomy! [???] That the current problems are associated with homosexual behavior BY HOMOSEXUALS really ought to be clear by now.