[NYer]

With grateful acknowledgement to freeper Frank Sheed, a subscriber, who freepmailed me the entire text.

[NYer]

"A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said the instructions would have little, if any, effect on how seminaries in the Los Angeles area admit candidates."

And there's the rub! Major question is how will this instruction be enforced and who will do the enforcing? Will Pope Benedict XVI take on this challenge and call the reprobate (Jadot) bishops to task, read them the riot act and exercise his right to strip them of their office.

[onedoug]

Homosexual death cult.

[NYer]

Ping!

[marshmallow]

The seminary visitations are the other part of this equation.

The instruction has been issued at precisely the same time as the visitations are occuring.

I'm hoping that the inspectors will have a nice dossier on the non-compliant seminaries such as Mahony's pink palace. Speaking of which, maybe the current criminal litigation proceedings in LA will do us all a big favor and send this nauseating troublemaker to the hoosegow.

[mtbopfuyn]

We'll just have to wait and see if it flies, but I'm not holding my breath.

[kosta50]

Sounds like the policy adopted by the U.S. military: don't ask and don't tell. Ultimately, it will be on their conscience to enter a seminary and become ordained, knowing that they are gay. I think +Benedict XVI did the right thing: he re-ffarimed that homosexuality is not the "other normal." The Church will not ask, but if someone comes out of the closet, he is out.

[Piers-the-Ploughman]

The "new instruction" seems mostly a rehash of the old with perhaps some guidance for the young man confused about his sexual orientaition as result of issues in adolescence. God can work miracles but I would be skeptical that a 21 year old confused person will have sufficiently "straightened" himself out by 24 to be entrusted with Holy Orders.

Because at this point there are no penalties associated with the instruction, my guess is that the bad seminaries and bishops will try to flaunt it at which point the ball is back in BXVI's hands.

[Barnacle]

While such impulses are not inherently sinful (in the way that homosexual acts are gravely sinful), they interfere with a candidate's ability to achieve what the document calls "affective maturity and spiritual paternity." So anyone who identifies himself as homosexual-- whether or not he is sexually active-- is not an appropriate candidate for priestly ministry.

We can only hope that the document will read so unequivocally.

[Iris7]

I appreciate your posts and read them. Thank you for your pings.

Usually I have nothing constructive to add to the discourse but could not resist my #21. My statement can be taken to be inflammatory but is truthful and accurate. There are some extremely good and brave priests we perhaps can help and who at times may need our support.

The Gates of Hell itself shall not prevail. Absolutely. But our own Christian formation puts us in this battle.

Character is destiny. God is Truth, as Augustine said.

[RonDog]

...The president of the US bishops' conference, Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, proclaimed:

"There are many wonderful and excellent priests in the Church who have a gay orientation, are chaste and celibate, and are very effective ministers of the Gospel."

If Bishop Skylstad's words seemed to prepare readers for a policy that would restrict the priesthood to celibate homosexuals, he served notice that any more aggressive stance would meet heavy resistance....

"celibate homosexuals" ?!?

Isn't that like cigarette smokers who do not smoke?

If one does not have sex, does it really matter WHO one does not have sex with?

[Salvation]

Any way others can subscribe?

[kimosabe31]

Leaders of American religious congregations headed for Rome, explaining that they would caution against the release of a "divisive" document.

What a load of crap. They (the leaders of American religious congregations) are the source of divisiveness through their efforts to "highjack" the Roman Catholic Church and transform it into a privileged sanctuary for homos and pedophiles...where they can continue to abuse children out of reach of the law. I for one applaud the Vatican for FINALLY defending Christian doctrine. It's been a long time coming. Hopefully it will be enforced and our "girlie boy" bishops and cardinals will be relegated to the trash heap of church history.