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"When a heterosexual celibate chooses to become a celibate in the priesthood," the cardinal said, "he's taking on a good - that is, his own desire to become a priest - and he's giving up a very good thing, and that is, a family and children that could follow. That would not be true of a homosexually oriented candidate. He may be choosing the good, but... he's giving up what the church considers an aberration, a moral evil."

This is a very rational explanation - which I had not considered until today. I am almost compelled to agree.

"When a heterosexual celibate chooses to become a celibate in the priesthood," the cardinal said, "he's taking on a good - that is, his own desire to become a priest - and he's giving up a very good thing, and that is, a family and children that could follow. That would not be true of a homosexually oriented candidate. He may be choosing the good, but... he's giving up what the church considers an aberration, a moral evil."

Self-evidently true. Only those who think that marriage and children as evils would disagree.

"When a heterosexual celibate chooses to become a celibate in the priesthood," the cardinal said, "he's taking on a good - that is, his own desire to become a priest - and he's giving up a very good thing, and that is, a family and children that could follow. That would not be true of a homosexually oriented candidate. He may be choosing the good, but... he's giving up what the church considers an aberration, a moral evil."

On the contrary, I thought giving up an evil for a good...was a good thing.Just read that statement again:

He may be choosing the good, but...he's giving up what the church considers an aberration, a moral evil.

Strange that a Catholic cardinal would condemn someone who gives up something bad for something good. So what is the celibate homosexual to do? Go out and kill himself?

Bevilacqua's strange theology is contradicted by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, who said "how will we know who is homosexual and who is not, if they are celibate?"

Fr. Donald Cozzens is close to the truth when he says there are 30-50% of priests who are homosexual. Only, you won't know, because they are celibates.

Bevilacqua's position may be adopted in his diocese, but it won't be part of the statement coming out of Dallas in June.

Here's what the Catholic Catechism has to say about homosexuals:

2359Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Can someone here tell me how that differs from the calling that STRAIGHT people are asked to embrace?

I'm not defending active homosexuals. But, I know many priests, and I suspect some of them are homosexual. But, I will never know for sure because they are celibate, and love the Lord with all their hearts.

I will lay considerable coin on the table that Bevilacqua will never repeat his bizarre comparison between "good" heterosexuals and "evil" homosexuals. Orientation, in and of itself, is not determinative of anything.

perhaps...but scripture also condenms any teaching that forbids marriage and family for those who would serve Christ's kingdom...as being "false doctrine". Paul exhorted "Bishops" of the early church to be husbands to only one wife(not that everyone had to be married) and in control of their house-holds,ect,ect..Paul stated he would rather all servants of Christ be single as he was but if the couldn't stay celibate, they should marry,("better to marry than to continually burn with passion"). I do have a concern with the Cardinal's view that having homosexual impulses should disqualify one for the priest-hood...does this mean that if I have impulses to steal from the laity and line my pockets I could still qualify for the priesthood? I think it is the outward expression, the uncontrolled sinful passions acted upon that need to be examined and judged. I have trouble with trying to predict how a person will behave years in the future. Christ said that It's not what goes into the draught(digestive tract of the mind and soul) that defiles him...it is what comes out of him. Should active pederasty/homoerotic behavior be banned with the forced removal of the errant clergy..you bet! The Catholic church needs to change its policy of not allowing married priests(they are allowing some limited exceptions ie., married ANGLICAN PRIESTS who wish to return to the Catholic fold) They need to stop this false doctrine of forbidding their clergy to marry! I think you'll see a flood of healthy hetero-sexual men into the clergy, who with their families will bring vitality into the church...who knows, a protestant like myself might even be persuaded to visit a church like that. WE Protestants also are suffering from our own scandals and the problems with the Catholic churches are affecting us too.