Catholic Church said to be struggling to keep homosexuals out

Yahoo News ^ | April 23, 2002

[history_matters]

The head of the US episcopal conference Wilton Daniel Gregory said there was an ongoing struggle within the Catholic Church to ensure that the priesthood is not "dominated by homosexual men".

Gregory and Chicago Archbishop, Cardinal Francis George, told reporters that the issue of homosexual priests had been discussed in a solemn morning meeting between Pope John Paul II and US cardinals on the issue of paedophile priests.

"It is an ongoing struggle. It is most importantly a struggle to make sure that the Catholic priesthood is not dominated by homosexual men," Gregory told a news conference after the first session of talks which are to last until Wednesday.

"Not only that it is not dominated by homosexual men, but that the candidates we receive are healthy in every possible way, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually."

"That is the ongoing concern of seminaries."

[nofriendofbills]

The father of lies may be pleased with your post, but it has no place on FreeRepublic.

Hey leave me out of it, I'm just lurking.

[stands2reason]

I'm not a Christian, but most of my family is, so it does concern me when they are being misrepresented in the news media or bashed here. A strong church is good for society as a whole. So is morality. I don't like to see the disease of moral relativism infect the last bastions of morality in this country. I have infinite respect for Christians, even though I'm too skeptical to be one, myself.

[browardchad]

Is it just me or does Bishop Gregory sound downright absurd? His statement implies another... 'gee willikers, its ok as long as they don't dominate' while he winks at the Vatican document.

It's not just you. The use of the word "dominate" is bizarre indeed.

[Sungirl]

What kind of healthy heterosexual man is going to become a celibate priest??

[Sungirl]

Where has the money gone?

Did they ever follow the money from the group who kill abortion doctors? The ones with the web site.

[Texas Gal]

I address this to no one in particular (the various comments of the individuals it is posted to caused me to want to write it, though). 

To those who do not understand this basic concept, the Bible is divided into 2 parts.  One part is the Old Testament, and it is the part that people of the Jewish faith believe in.  The New Testament contains the Gospel (that word means "good news") of Christ, and people who follow after Jesus Christ and believe the Bible is the inspired word of God (II Thes. 3:16) mostly tend to believe, as is said in the 2nd chapter of Colossians that the old law, the old ordinances as it were, have been nailed to the cross of Christ and we no longer obey the specific commandments, although they are profitable for study, being as they were the revealed will of God for that time.  A testament is a will, and so the testaments, old and new, are wills...the will of God.  If a man has one will and later replaces it with a  new will, people don't usually spend a lot of time fretting over the old will after the man's death, although they can certainly read it to see how he thought about things.  The new will has been put into effect by the death of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who rose again and lives today.

I write all this in order to point out that the New Testament does address the subject of homosexuality in the first chapter of Romans, and if anyone has a problem with what is written there, their problem is with God, not with me. 

I Corinthians 6: 9-10, furthermore, says the following: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  [10]: Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11]: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

For context it might help if I pointed out that I Corinthians was a letter written to the church (the local group of Christians) located at Corinth. I am not Roman Catholic.  Having so said, I point to I Timothy 4:1-3, and wish for you all success in studying the scriptures, if you decide to do so (please do!).

[Campion]

What kind of healthy heterosexual man is going to become a celibate priest??

One who loves God.

[jlogajan]

What's your problem, that you feel the need to ridicule someone's religion?

Oh give your faux outrage a rest. You religionists have been ridiculing every other religion since the dawn of man. As an atheist I face the bile from religionists every day. Now I should worry about their feelings?

Well they're homo haters and the say so in public. If they want to engage in the public mud slinging, so be it. Feel the return fire.

If they want to preach in their churches -- let them. But they are always trying to mandate their nutty beliefs via the power of the state (anti-homo laws, teaching nutball creationism in public schools, etc.) If they can't stand the heat ...

[jlogajan]

we no longer obey the specific commandments

Yes yes, some follow that line. Fundamentalist don't.

However, that line of explanation doesn't really make sense. It means God has to keep adding revisions to his "divine" word. Apparently we are on Rev 2.0 now. When is Rev 3.0 due??? Can't an infinite all powerful being get it right on Rev 1.0?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

I'm aware of no such group with an official structural link to the institutional and bureaucratic structure of the actual Roman Catholic Church in the U.S., are you? Fr. Shanley and the other pervs were on the payroll and had access to church resources for years. That's a rather highly significant difference recognized in law and official accounting procedures. Please illuminate everyone on FR if you can establish a similar structural affiliation. Where and when did a priest shoot an abortion doctor?

[caddie]

Who's imposing whose beliefs on whom, dude?

The atheists, via the Federal Government, are forcibly taking my tax money, and making me and other Americans spend $ 16 billion on AIDS research and treatment this year.

That's more than is spent on breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.

Who's religion is infringing on whom?

I say you atheists are imposing YOUR religion on us Christians.

Using the IRS, the Federal Prisons, and the NIH as your Church Elders and mafia.

[Mike Fieschko]

As an atheist I face the bile from religionists every day. Now I should worry about their feelings?

If you're an atheist, of what intellectual interest to you is a discussion of homosexuals in the Catholic priesthood?

[Mike Fieschko]

If you're an atheist, of what intellectual interest to you is a discussion of homosexuals in the Catholic priesthood?

Sorry, I meant to post 'of what intellectual interest to you is participation in discussion of homosexuals in the Catholic priesthood?'

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Or to phrase it another way, when an atheist homo molests a minor, is there any entity or organization to sue?

[Texas Gal]

we no longer obey the specific commandments [of the Old Testament]... and yes, you are correct, some people who say they are Christians do observe certain portions of the Old Testament without observiing every bit of it.  I don't really know why they believe like that, but I can only speak for myself in regard to this.  Each person has to answer for himself, ultimately.
However, that line of explanation doesn't really make sense. It means God has to keep adding revisions to his "divine" word. Apparently we are on Rev 2.0 now. When is Rev 3.0 due??? Can't an infinite all powerful being get it right on Rev 1.0 [wrote you]?

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?   Romans 9:20
If that's the way He wants it I'm sure not going to pick an argument with Him.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

They managed to get two bishops in Florida! Not too far for some weekend partying (courtesy of church funds) in South Beach or Key West. They need to audit every priest. Anyone suspected needs to be kept away from handling of church funds. Party's over, dudes! Dragnet is closing in! Time to clear out! Watch those collection plates, people! These boys aren't going to leave empty-handed.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

re: # 96

It's called the "Homintern" in Intel circles, by the way. Otherwise, irreverently known as "the Lavender mafia."

It's real and they steal - even from little old ladies' pension-funded contributions.

[Saundra Duffy]

It is an ongoing struggle.

Here's exactly what's wrong. Why is there a struggle?! For God's sake - homosexuality shouldn't even be an issue. Duh! A homosexual priest is an oxymoron.