[tjd1454]

OK, I had no idea he was big in the Evangelical community. I am pretty breathtakingly ignorant of Evangelical Christians - I'm a traditionalist Catholic, myself. I just think we have a lot more to worry about right now than whether Mr. D’Souza can keep his pants zipped.

I have great respect for Catholics. Question: how would you feel if your monsignor was caught sharing a hotel room with a woman. Not an exact parallel, but those in leadership have a double responsibility to model chastity in their lives.

[Dr. Sivana]

I have great respect for Catholics. Question: how would you feel if your monsignor was caught sharing a hotel room with a woman. Not an exact parallel, but those in leadership have a double responsibility to model chastity in their lives.

Assuming there was no other problem with the Monsignor and that theer were no complicating factors (e.g. woman herself is married or of a very young age), I would be greatly saddened, more than anything. Unfortunately, some priests attract groupies and they are also targets of special attention from the dark side. If they are not steadfast in prayer, and detached from worldly goods compared to the general population, they temptations can sometimes seem overwhelming, I am sure. These days, priests are more isolated, as they are typically running parishes alone.

You can distinguish this type of behavior from the other type of scandals that have been hitting, in that one is the misuse of a natural good, and the other type is perverted and intrinsically disordered. If the behavior was ongoing, as opposed to a one-time lapse, then special measures have to be taken (here is where the transfer may be practical, assuming the priest in question had an attraction to a particular woman, and not just looking for an opportunity to misbehave).

[miss marmelstein]

Late reply, sorry. If a priest was found in a hotel room with a woman, yes, I'd be disappointed. In fact, it happened at my old church: St. Agnes in NYC. On the other hand, I might be relieved that it was a WOMAN...if you get my drift.