Jesuit Official Rips Expected Ban on Gays

AP Religion ^ | 9/30/2005 | RACHEL ZOLL

[John O]

obviously we'll just have to continue to disagree.

[IIntense]

If, as you suggest, the Church covered up for them to keep the sinking ship above water, what right does the same Church have to demand that the laity be completely honest when confessing to a priest? For one to "cover up", i.e., neglect to mention a possibly serious sin, does the Church judge that to be a sacrilege? In the same situation, the Church does say that receiving Communion IS a sacrilege. If the hierarchy of the Church "covers up" it's laxity in such a serious matter, have they committed a sacrilege?

It would be refreshing to me, in a way, to witness some honesty.

[IIntense]

Re: adolescent vents his secret struggles to a gay priest

Good example. I'm not an adolescent nor a homosexual, yet if I were going to confession, which I'm not, and I knew the confessor was a homosexual, he would not be hearing my confession. Like it or not, every priest is an individual with a built-in makeup, like all of us. While one confessor advises a person with anxiety problems that this is an OK reason for not attending Mass when feeling this way, another confessor tells the same person that going to Mass when feeling this way is the right thing to do...beneficial to the problem, I suppose.

Same person, opposite opinions.

I didn't make this up...a friend experienced this. I don't doubt for a minute that many can relate similar situations. In the above-mentioned case, one priest has some understanding of severe anxiety; the other has no clue of the suffering. No doubt he would excuse someone with a very serious physical ailment...one that is obvious to the eye.

As to homosexuality, the more I read on the subject, the more I am inclined to believe it is a mental disorder. For certain, it is not normal. As to confession, I go beyond them to confession in general. We all have a right to think for ourselves. For all those who believe in Jesus Christ, and for all those of the Jewish faith, how do so many of them follow a path of basic goodness despite the fact that they are not obliged to confess their sins to another human being? That is an interesting question to me.