Posted on 12/22/2016 5:40:19 PM PST by marshmallow
The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano has published an essay by an American priest, arguing that the Church’s stand against the ordination of homosexuals to the priesthood, recently confirmed by a new Vatican document, is not a ban.
Father Louis Cameli, a priest of the Chicago archdiocese, wrote in response to the Vatican document released earlier this month, saying that the Church “cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or support the so-called ‘gay culture.’“ His analysis of that document in L’Osservatore Romano argues that the Vatican policy did not imply “a blanket prohibition of admission to the seminary or Holy Orders.”
Father Cameli conceded that homosexual activists are barred from seminaries and from ordination to the priesthood:
A person who supports the ‘gay culture,’ understood as an environment and a movement that advocates moral stances at variance with Church teaching, cannot at the same time be entrusted with teaching and leading the community of faith.
However, the American priest said that the reference to “deep-seated” homosexual tendencies should be understood to apply only to men for whom homosexuality is a “central organizing identity,” an “overriding center of attention and even preoccuption,” or a factor that blocks the individual’s ability to form other relations.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicculture.org ...
This is how one makes an end run around traditional ecclesial prohibitions. They are not denied outright....one simply introduces "exceptions" which are then enforced in an arbitrary, subjective, inconsistent manner and become ever more widespread to the point that eventually, they become the norm.
Re : Post# 1
“... the reference to “deep-seated” homosexual tendencies should be understood to apply only to men for whom homosexuality is a “central organizing identity,”
Hmmm...
“... an “overriding center of attention and even preoccuption,” or a factor that blocks the individual’s ability to form other relations.”
Hmmm... think about that!
That defines homosexuality! GRRR!!!!
“... one simply introduces “exceptions” which are then enforced in an arbitrary, subjective, inconsistent manner and become ever more widespread to the point that eventually, they become the norm....”
Yes.
I am not Catholic and I ask this honestly. IF a priest is a virgin and is attracted to men is he any more impure as a priest who is attracted to women but still remains a virign?
Thus, this not fundamentally a question of "purity" but of psychological and emotional health.
I think the popo is in for a rough ride.
He WANTS a schism. He’s begging for one. His apostasy from the faith is perverse— more so than any other wayward pope of antiquity, don’t you agree?
I saw the way of the world falling into perversion and said a decade ago, to myself, that until Holy Mother Church began to fall in with the world, that nothing was imminent.
The pope is opening the Gates of Hell, scattering the sheep and leading many to psrdition. It is unavoidable only until the Holy Spirit intervenes. What sorrow filled days we suffer this holy season. Come, Lord Jesus.
Oops. I meant perdition. Auto spell! Blast.
Vatican policy ???
It remains that the Holy Bible clearly indicates that God condemns same-sex sexual relationships.
All this after Benedict XVi sent teams to inspect all the seminaries in the U. S.
Most of them are booming....I know our local seminary has 157 seminarians. That’s a big number!!!!
Applicant’s at the booming seminaries must undergo a two day psyche exam, parents must be interviewed, pastor must be interviewed, friends are interviewed. It is a long process.
Oddly, the Church though has an absolute ban on ordination of those with celiac disease in that they cannot safely ingest the gluten in Communion hosts.
And the winner is.....
What a shocker.
Let us pray together, dearest, that the US seminaries will hold. There may be replacements in seminary leadership, after the strides of restoration were made by Pope Benedict, and perhaps they will be strong and will hold.
Archbishop Raymond Cardinal Burke said the other night on World Over that he will not be a part of schism. We are witnessing a man entirely willing to trust in Our Lord Jesus Christ to make these necessary corrections. The weapons of the enemy circling the Vatican, filling its halls, and formed against us will not stand.
We are witnessing history, and the power of Almighty God shall shake the evil doers. I pray we see it and the world sees it. After all, we were formed by God for times like this. Our test has come, certainly.
I don’t think many gay men are really trying to get in anymore, at least in the West. Why would they? Maybe 40 or 50 years ago, but now? They can get married, businesses pretty much all dig them now, in many places it is against the law to discriminate against them. They can be religious leaders in groups that would gladly celebrate their open gayness, marry them, recognize their civil divorces and marry them again. And put them in leadership positions where they wouldn’t have to have to hide anything at all.
Freegards
I suspect any gay person is worse than a normal person because it is truly a sickness; early attempts to trace the spread of AIDS failed miserably as the government realized how many partners these deviants had, and how little they knew about them (they preferred anonymous encounters - and LOTS of them).
Contrary to the myth, they are NOT just like us - whether they are active or not.
No. Those were the very terms the Church installed, for the purpose of all men who loved God more than the world and above the personal desires of their heart. Priests are eager to make the sacrifice to celibacy, and to never act on their desires.
However, the tweek seems to have necessarily come that now much more deeply scrutinizes the *degree of attachment* to even normal desire that these men harbor for women, or for men. That test seems to be more elaborate than before in measuring their attachment to desires.
Priests attracted to men are naturally in a setting of temptation, if they possess a disordered attraction to and for men.
It is a cross to bear for sure. I personally believe it’s a disorder, as the Church teaches, and a risk, because these men are in the den and thick of the company of other men. Normal priests who are heterosexual are not in the company of women and have a much greater chance for overcoming normal desire.
We are not punished for our uninvited thoughts, but overtly inviting and entertaining our personal thoughts and desires are to be confessed and penance is required.
Yes: the pathology of rationalization.
Say it isn’t so! LOL
Yes, and I don’t want any policy arguments by one from Chicago, in politics or in the Church.
I am Catholic, and any practicing homosexual is violating the teaching of the church period.
By simple reading, it is a ban on homos in the seminary!
I believe that answer to be no. You can have attraction to another guy, but if it isn’t acted on, you don’t advocate homo sex, I don’t think it’s an issue.
I am not a Catechist either, however.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.