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Father Charles Bouchard is president of Aquinas Institute of Theology, "Some people do feel homosexuality would disqualify a student. I hope we can provide evidence that should not be the case."
I'm confused. Does the Vatican directive say that there should be no homosexuals among the 275 students who aren't in preparation for the priesthood, as well as the 25 who are? Or is Mr. Bouchard deliberately trying to muddle things?
All the Vatican information I've seen relates specifically to the priesthood and I'd say that Fr. Bouchard knows this and is deliberately trying to blur the line between candidates for the priesthood and the remainder of the students in order to make his point.
It should also be pointed out that the apostolic visitation will examine a number of things, of which the homosexual question is only one, including course material, spiritual formation etc., and this will involve all the students at the institute.
What should not be forgotten is that in 1961 a Papal order went out to all the bishops of the world, from Pope John XXIII, demanding that any candidates for the seminary that showed homosexual tendencies should be forbidden from entering the seminary on that grounds. This order was not made public, but was buried deep in a series of documents intended only for the eyes of chancery offices, bishops, and those who could apply it without making a public scandal arise. If the rule had been implemented at the time as the document certainly intended, we would not be having the problem today that we are having with homosexual behavior becoming the apparent norm, judging from what comes out of the seminaries.
About 6 months ago, there were rumors that a new, revised document would be coming out in October. You can probably go back in the archives and see the discussions here on FR that touched on that topic then. Or, perhaps they have been pulled, I don't know. But the fact remains, that October is now only a week away, and lo, here we are with some announcement of Vatican "inspections" beginning. Hmm...
It would seem that inspections could at least buy some time, so as to make it appear that something is going on, and so as to quell the anxiety of "conservatives" who might be chomping at the bit over the Vaticans inaction in this grave and calamatous pederasty scandal. But inspections could also be a way for big wigs to make personal meetings with seminary officials, with no paper trail, during which the spoken word will set the stage for the new plan, whatever that is. They ought to keep in mind that if they don't get it in writing, they won't be able to prove it happened in years to come.
Anyone who expects the 1961 rules to apply today as they were intended then might as well expect that the Pope who died begging for the council to be stopped would have had that wish fulfilled pothsumously, as well.
In other words, homosexual tendencies will continue to be a welcome component of seminarians, just as the progress and effects of Vatican II continue to slash and burn at everything holy in the Church, as it were...