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Paper Suggests End to Priest Celibacy
AP | 3/15/02 | AP

Posted on 03/15/2002 11:59:33 AM PST by anniegetyourgun

BOSTON- In an extraordinary editorial on the city's child-molestation scandal, the official newspaper of the Boston Archdiocese says the Roman Catholic Church must face the question of whether to drop its requirement that priests be celibate.

The editorial, published Thursday in a special issue of The Pilot, asks whether there would be fewer scandals if celibacy were optional for priests and whether the priesthood attracts an unusually high number of homosexual men.

It offers no answers, but says: "These scandals have raised serious questions in the minds of the laity that simply will not disappear."

The editorial was written by Monsignor Peter V. Conley, the paper's executive editor, who is said to be a close confidant of Cardinal Bernard Law, Boston's archbishop. Law is listed as the paper's publisher.

Archdiocese spokeswoman Donna Morrissey had no immediate comment.

Philip Lawler, who was editor of The Pilot from 1986 to 1988 and is now editor of Catholic World Report, called the editorial "very unusual" for raising questions about church doctrine instead of administrative issues.

In Rome, a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, said: "The pope has spoken to this. He has said celibacy remains, it is a great gift to the church. He has spoken clearly in favor of celibacy."

The archdiocese is the nation's fourth-largest, with more than 2 million Catholics, and is the center of the biggest child-molestation scandal to rock the U.S. church.

It has been under fire recently after it was disclosed that officials knew about child sex-abuse allegations against the Rev. John Geoghan and did little more than move him from parish to parish. The now-defrocked priest has been accused of molesting more than 130 children over 30 years. He is serving a nine-to-10 year prison sentence for groping a boy, and the archdiocese has agreed to pay up to $45 million to scores of his alleged victims.

As part of a new "zero tolerance" policy of sex abuse, the archdiocese has turned over to prosecutors the names of more than 80 current and former priests suspected of child molestation over the past 50 years.

The archdiocese said it printed the special issue of The Pilot to try to improve communication with parishioners about the latest developments. More than 100,000 copies of the 28-page supplement to the weekly paper were printed and will be distributed after Mass in parishes Sunday.

"Would abandoning celibacy be the proper answer to new data from the contemporary sciences or would it be surrendering to popular American culture?" it says.

The editorial says that the New Testament "clearly prizes" priestly celibacy, but that most Americans don't understand it. It also says that letting priests marry would not be a "panacea," noting the divorce rate.

The editorial poses such questions as: "Should celibacy continue to be a normative condition for the diocesan priesthood in the Western (Latin) Church? If celibacy were optional, would there be fewer scandals of this nature in the priesthood? Does priesthood, in fact, attract a disproportionate number of men with a homosexual orientation?"

It also encourages greater attention to homosexual orientation and the priesthood, and asks if there are valid ways to screen priests for sexual orientation. The editorial also says that "evidence now seems to indicate that (homosexuality) is a genetically inherited condition."

Conley did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.

The Rev. Stephen Rossetti, a psychologist and consultant on sex abuse to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, cautioned against linking celibacy and homosexuality among priests to child molestation.

"Any clinician can tell you the diagnosis of pedophilia has nothing to do with homosexuality," said Rossetti, who has written extensively on the issue. "I think people are jumping on simplistic solutions."

The newspaper also includes a defense of Law by Raymond Flynn, a former Boston mayor and one-time U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

"I think it's a very enlightened editorial in terms of the door being opened, and the church is inviting people to come back," Flynn said Friday. "In a sad way, this is a very exciting and wonderful new era, a dawn for the Catholic Church. I really believe that."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; masslist
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To: anniegetyourgun
The Church's constant coverup policy is as much or more responsible as its celibacy requirement, i.e., yes the Church's policies are responsible, but not the one the editorial talks about.
21 posted on 03/15/2002 12:38:53 PM PST by Thud
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To: BLASTER 14
To this Protestant, celibacy seems as unnatural as homosexualism.

Only a pervert would make a self-serving statement like that.

22 posted on 03/15/2002 12:40:03 PM PST by Publius6961
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To: sinkspur
Why is this any of Bush's business?

First, it would be a good thing. Not to mention that the RC church in America is connected to the Papal State, a
recognized government entity. I just think a couple of words will go a long way in to allowing Church to clean
up the mess Law allowed to continue.

Second, it would send a message to other religions. The Catholic church is not the only religion with pedophile
problems. I think a rabbi in Florida, recently, and either the Seventh Day Adventists or Jehovahs.

Third, will minimize any cr@p from the "Reverend" Jesse Jackson when, (and if) the IRS finally decides to put
him out of business. Is taking contributions to pay off either mistresses or victims a legitimate use of funds?

Just a good idea for all concerned.

BTW, is Reilly the guy that made such a mess of the Fells Acre case? Or was that Harshbarger?

23 posted on 03/15/2002 12:48:44 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Publius6961
Let's see: in recent weeks I've gotten both Catholics and Jews p.o.'ed at me. I must be doing SOMETHING right!!!
24 posted on 03/15/2002 12:48:48 PM PST by BLASTER 14
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To: choirboy
Was God telling Jeremiah to do something unnatural?

There is no doubt that marriage was the norm for most notable Old Testament figures. King Solomon, for example, took 1,000 women for his sexual pleasure and was never castigated for it. And on the general question of asceticism, the biblical message is clearly that some are called to it while others are not. Remember that Jesus was criticized for drinking wine and attending feasts, while The Baptist ate locusts.

25 posted on 03/15/2002 12:49:19 PM PST by helmsman
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To: anniegetyourgun
I think there are 3 threads dealing with this subject. That's not a complaint...it's a subject worth discussing.

"Philip Lawler, who was editor of The Pilot from 1986 to 1988 and is now editor of Catholic World Report, called the editorial "very unusual" for raising questions about church doctrine instead of administrative issues. "

IMHO this is akin to a military commander asking his troops what they think about the U.C.M.J. It just does nothing to resolve the problems, and only "stirs" resentment.

What on earth are those people thinking?

26 posted on 03/15/2002 12:49:38 PM PST by grumpster-dumpster
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To: anniegetyourgun
If homosexuality and pedophilia are not related, why are these priests only going after males? The Church has to take a politically incorrect stand against accepting homosexual seminarians period. As for other priestly indescreations, they may abate once the Catholic Church gets serious about returning to its spiritual base which has been been too much given over to secular social programs.
27 posted on 03/15/2002 12:52:33 PM PST by mountainfolk
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To: BLASTER 14
To this Protestant, celibacy seems as unnatural as homosexualism.

So all unmarried people are unnatural to you?

28 posted on 03/15/2002 12:52:43 PM PST by A Ruckus of Dogs
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To: mountainfolk
Because homosexual misconduct within the Church is traditionally hushed up successfully, while hetrosexual misconduct hasn't been. The latter creates jealousy, among other things. The situation wouldn't have gotten to the point of endangering the Church if the Church hadn't officially misbehaved by protecting the guilty.

"If homosexuality and pedophilia are not related, why are these priests only going after males?"

29 posted on 03/15/2002 12:59:59 PM PST by Thud
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To: A Ruckus of Dogs
If you think all unmaried people are celibate, maybe you should get your daddy to explain the birds and bees to you.
30 posted on 03/15/2002 1:02:16 PM PST by BLASTER 14
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To: A Ruckus of Dogs
Oops. "unmaried"="unmarried".
31 posted on 03/15/2002 1:04:19 PM PST by BLASTER 14
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To: mountainfolk
Agreed. And I suppose if they did enforce an exclusion from their seminaries, they would run the risk of losing federal & state funds. After all, it's just the next step after going after the Salvation Army church.
32 posted on 03/15/2002 1:11:48 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: BLASTER 14
Some people are called to celibacy. Some are not. (I'd venture to guess that most aren't, but there's nothing biblical in that - just an observation.) It's not 'weird', and certainly not like homosexuality. It's just something that some people are called to and willingly embrace.
33 posted on 03/15/2002 1:25:07 PM PST by MEGoody
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To: SuziQ
How would they know that homosexuality is 'inherited,' since homosexuals generally do not have children? I've love to see some data on this IF such data exists.
34 posted on 03/15/2002 1:28:42 PM PST by MEGoody
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To: anniegetyourgun
I would agree that this is not the reason to make this change

I too would agree.

35 posted on 03/15/2002 1:33:30 PM PST by Renatus
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To: anniegetyourgun
Everyone skirts the real issues that have caused the most problems for the archdiocese of Boston.

1. The Cardinals in charge back to 1960 or so new of these abuses and chose to hide them from Public view and from the Law.

2.. The Bishops and the clergy who supported this stupid practice of deceit and secrecy are just as guilty as the Cardinals.

3. These clergy didn't care a wit about the children who were abused, they only worried about covering their own asses.

4. If they had an ounce of christian charity in their souls they would have protected and ministered to the victims and gotten rid of the perverts.

The entire problem is one of Management that chose to allow these crimes to continue and never stepped in to stop the abuse..

Last week I thought the Church Might recover but now I don't think it is worth the effort and I have decided not to participate in weekly masses..

There is so much evil within the church and so much Arrogance in the Hierarchy I wouldn't know who to trust.

I am over 60 years old and can still count how many times I have missed Mass.

Cardinal Law shouldn't be allowed to resign, He should be thrown out.

36 posted on 03/15/2002 1:39:28 PM PST by chatham
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To: Calvin Locke
Everybody else has agreed that resigning is the best thing

Since when did you decide that you would speak for me with your "everybody." I think he should stay the course, and weather the storm that has been brought on by those who hate the church and would see her destroyed by attacking the sacred priesthood without which the Church cannot exist.

And keep Bush out of it.

37 posted on 03/15/2002 1:40:11 PM PST by Renatus
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: anniegetyourgun
Ask the "Rev." Stephen Rossetti what the definition of Ephebophilia is? It is people who seek sex with postpubescent children from what I've read.

Pedophilia is sex with prepubescent children!

In either case Homosexuality is sex with the same sex and heterosexuality is sex with the opposite sex.

When men have sex with prepubescent boys ,they are by definition, Pedophiles of the Homosexual variety.

Read "the changing face of the Priesthood by Donald B. Cozzens". Denial will not change the fact that Cozzens book states, 50% of the priests are Homosexual..

39 posted on 03/15/2002 1:53:01 PM PST by chatham
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To: chatham
I am not a Catholic but I know several Catholics who are a part of the Body of Christ. Regardless of what church/denomination in which this kind of thing occurs, it always bring shame. I presume you are a Catholic and I extend my deepest condolences. Unless it is dealt with forthrightly with an open removal of the sin in the camp, it is an issue that threatens to sunder your denomination.
40 posted on 03/15/2002 2:21:12 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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