Posted on 01/19/2006 3:53:41 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
CHICAGO, January 19, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an annual interview with Chicago Sun Times reporter Cathleen Falsani, Chicago Cardinal Francis George revealed that last year the United States Bishops visiting with the Pope asked the Vatican to delay release of the long-awaited document on homosexuality and the priesthood.
The document entitled, "Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders", reinforced Church teaching barring men "who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'", from becoming priests.
"We asked them not not to publish it, but to delay it -- to wait -- otherwise it would color the visitations," Cardinal George told the Times.
He said the bishops were concerned that the document would be released during the official visits of US bishops with the Pope over the issue of sexual abuse in seminaries, and thus would ignite the sensitivities of homosexuals activists. Explained George: "We said, 'If you do this, it will be taken as a commentary on the visitations and we'll get into this whole business that the gay community is so sensitive to of, 'You're blaming us for the pedophilia.'"
In fact, however, the study on sexual abuse commissioned by the US Bishops after the scandals broke in 2002, confirmed that homosexuality indeed was a major part of the problem. The John Jay study (available online: http://www.usccb.org/nrb/johnjaystudy/ ) noted that 80% of the sexual abuse in the priesthood involved adolescent males rather than young boys, pointing to the core problem being one of homosexuality, not strictly pedophilia.
For comment, LifeSiteNews.com contacted Michael Rose, the author of the best seller 'Good Bye, Good Men'. The book catalogued the homosexual activism in Catholic seminaries during the 70s and 80s which led to the acceptance into the priesthood of many practicing homosexuals and rejection from seminary of many men who followed Church teaching on homosexuality.
Rose noted that the document, already delayed for some ten years, was important for the whole church, and a request to delay it to ward off criticism from homosexual activists was concerning. "The request of the Pope by the US bishops to delay the release of the (already long delayed) document seems at best self-serving," said Rose. It is "again, sending the wrong message to the faithful (and others), that our bishops are overly concerned with outward appearances, perhaps to the detriment of more important things."
Cardinal George noted that the Vatican disregarded the request and published the document as scheduled. "Their response was, 'Well, we're sorry about that, but this is a universal document. It's not directed at the United States. It's directed to the whole church. So we're gonna do it.' They have their own schedule," he said.
For too many of our bishops this is striking too close to home. Of course they don't like it.
Dehomosexualize the seminaries completely and most of the heresy will be gone. Homosexuals who are comfortable with their defect are already heretical. All the other rot is easy from there.
Well, Duh!
It is homosexuals who abused pre-teen and teenage boys, you morons.
And who the hell cares what the "gay community" is "sensitive" about anyway?! You people are supposed to be Christian leaders, for crying out loud.
Start acting like it.
The US bishops are horrible. Actually, the USCCB is horrible - because the controlling group is the old-line (gay or gay-friendly) liberal bishops.
Cdl George, btw, is one of the good guys and was simply explaining the situation, not criticizing the Vatican for going ahead with the inspection.
Yes, this is what I remember. Thanks for the rest of the info. I remember Father Greeley being quoted before Bernardin was appointed in Chicago, that he thought he would be a good Cardinal ( I really do remember this well.) But since, Greeley has been critical of Bernardin's tenure (I think) which confuses me, rather. These days, I wonder about Andrew Greeley.
Where do you get what you are saying from? Archbishop Levada gave a talk to the public before the 2004 presidential election strongly diasgreeing with then-Cardinal Ratzinger's statement to the U.S. bishops about withholding Communion from politicians. Archbishop Levada cozied up to Cardinal Ratzinger when he visited, but otherwise he did not agree with him on most issues.
It was in the news weeks and weeks ago.
I first heard it from our parish. It's not a secret. You can check it out here on FR; there was a thread about it.
Benedict would not have requested Levada's transfer to Rome if he didn't like, admire and trust Levada.
Levada pulled a real coup here in San Francisco -- against our homosexual advocate/supervisor Tom Ammiano. Harhar. It was a brilliant move on Levada's part, worthy of a Church bishop even in the Borgia's time.
Levada's always come through as rather conservative around here, especially with homosexuality, homosexual marriage, abortion, euthenasia, pedophilia and porography.
What was in the news? That Archbishop Levada criticized then-Cardinal Ratzinger's statement to the bishops. Did you ever follow what happened in San Francisco before April of 2005?
This isn't Stalinism, we can't just pretend someone is something they aren't. Archbishop Levada was never a conservative bishop- and was never considered one before he was nominated to the CDF.
How VERY Un-Churchly of them!
Who gives a bleep about the gay community?
Aw, they might throw a hissy and cry.
Of course the problem is homosexuality -as this article points out- 80% of the sexual abuse committed by priests involved young males. If the Church believes its own teachings that, men "who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture' violate the Church's morality, then homosexual priests should be prevented from becoming priests, and those who are already priests should be expelled from the Church.
Fidelity magazine published extensive articles on the Chicago scandals of Bernardin's regime in which children of both sexes were molested sexually and physically injured by priests, nuns and parochial school officials. One child was the son of billionaires who are among the greatest contributors to the Archdiocese of Chicago and to the Vatican itself. The mother is a descendant of either Mr. Nash or Mr. Kelly who co-founded the current Chicago Democrat machine. The machine honors the ancestor's memory by patronizing his granddaughter's law firm without quid pro quo. The father went to Bernardin to comlain and made the obvious observation that it would make no sense to sue the Archdiocese, Bernardin (for knowingly covering up) or even the individuals in question since the Church was their family's major charty and they had no need whatever for money damages. Bernardin whitewashed the situation yet again. The parents went to the Vatican where they were allowed by Edouard Cardinal Gagnon, then the Head of the Curial Congregation on the Family to tape their conversation with him. They asked to meet with Pope John Paul II as to Bernardin's administration of Chicago and the abse of their son. Cardinal Gagnon told them that the pope sympathized but would not meet with them as such meetngs were pointless since the American Church was effectively in schism and refused to obey Rome.
Bernardin tolerated the existence of a "priest's Senate" which acted as though it were a legislature of some sort, ever taking the leftmost position available and defying hierarchical authority.
Bernardin was no prize in his previous see at Cincinnati either. He left Joseph Pilarczyk to succeed him there. Pilarczyk is nearly as bad as Bernardin. His seminary has a non-Catholic, a Mason, who is a psychologist of some sort, as the gatekeeper, to prevent the ordination of any orthodox Catholics who slip through. The Diocese of Rockford (next door to Chicago) has benefited from the arrival of several seminarians who fled Bernardin's Mundelein Seminary to come here where we have a very Catholic bishop and more than 40 seminarians, 11 of whom will be ordained this spring. That will be the second class of 11 since my family arrived here in 2000.
Do you honestly believe that Pope Benedict hasn't done his homework on Levada? Do you think him duped by Levada?
I don't. The Pope did his homework, as he always does, and chose a very fine, conservative, smart, backbone-of-steel man in William Levada.
Levada is in Rome NOW, working with Pope Benedict, at the specific request of his holy father.
What you might have read about former Archbishop William Levada in the hate-filled, virulently anti-Catholic mainstream media only shows that YOU believe what THEY say about Levada and DON'T trust Pope Benedict's judgment.
Have it your own way.
Any prizes for guessing where Bernardin might be now?
Old Scratch jabbing his behind
Although its been said
Many times, many ways
Good riddance to Joe!!!
Old Scratch jabbing his behind
Although its been said
Many times, many ways
Good riddance to Joe!!!
Old Scratch jabbing his behind
Although its been said
Many times, many ways
Good riddance to Joe!!!
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