Bears repeating!!!
Posted on 12/01/2005 12:12:52 PM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A cover letter accompanying the Vatican's instruction on homosexuality and the priesthood said the new norms must be "faithfully observed" and taken into account in the drafting or updating of each country's seminary guidelines.
The letter also made clear that, while the text does not apply to those already ordained, priests with homosexual tendencies should not have educational roles in seminaries.
The letter from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education went out to bishops in early November along with the nine-page instruction. The instruction was made public Nov. 29 but the cover letter was not; Catholic News Service obtained a copy of the letter.
It was signed by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the education congregation, and by Archbishop J. Michael Miller, congregation secretary.
The Vatican instruction said the church cannot allow priestly ordination of men who are active homosexuals, who have "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" or who support the "gay culture."
The accompanying letter said it should be "clear that the aforementioned norms are to be faithfully observed by all superiors" involved in admission of candidates to the priesthood.
The instruction, the letter said, "does not call into question the validity of the ordination and the situation of priests who, in fact, have been ordained with homosexual tendencies" or of priests who have manifested homosexual tendencies after ordination.
"Like all other priests, they must remember the promise that they made on the day of their ordination, to live perfect chastity in celibacy," the letter said.
Such priests should continue in their ministry, it said, but added: "Because of the particular responsibility of those charged with the formation of future priests, they are not to be appointed as rectors or educators in seminaries."
The letter offered a brief genesis of the instruction, saying the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- headed at the time by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the present pope -- had a key role in its inception and development.
It said that in 1996 the doctrinal congregation invited the education congregation to prepare an instruction on the topic. As the work went forward, the doctrinal congregation "forwarded abundant documentation on the question," it said.
The draft texts were circulated and evaluated by the doctrinal congregation and six other Vatican departments, including those dealing with clergy, sacraments, Eastern churches, evangelization, religious orders and canon law.
Drafts of the instruction were presented at plenary sessions of the education congregation in 1998, 2002 and 2005. The congregation members approved the final version in early February 2005, convinced that it was "helpful and very useful," the letter said.
The letter did not say whether the text had been reviewed by Pope John Paul II, who was too sick to meet with participants of the education congregation plenary last February and who died two months later. Pope Benedict XVI approved the text Aug. 31 and ordered it published.
Bears repeating!!!
I like the "German Shepard" more and more.
Lots of good stuff in there, including:
"The letter also made clear that, while the text does not apply to those already ordained, priests with homosexual tendencies should not have educational roles in seminaries."
but how will it be enforced?
God's Rottweiller has become the German Shepard.
Fantastic news - but what, if anything, will happen in the seminaries to put this into effect?
Is that becoming his nickname? I love it!
There will be extreme howling over THIS! :D
For the past few days, current "gay" priests (shudder) have been claiming that they aren't affected by the new ruling. Au contraire, they are being frozen out of power!
I love it! These are interesting times, yeah???
Can you imagine the howling comming from Arch Bishop Weakland if he was still in charge of the milwalkee diocese?
German Shepard. I like it! I never thought I would see good news like this, coming from the Vatican. Ol' Roger the dodger must be sweating bullets :-D
I'm betting he's not getting much sleep.
I've been absent for a lot of these threads, but you raise an excellent point. Why not close them all down, and open up several large seminaries. There are plenty of ways that homosexuals can exercise their faith, besides abstaining from the activity in the first place. The corruption of the priesthood must stop.
Couldn't happen to a nicer person ; )
I've lived through his reign of terror, and the San Bernardino diocese is not any different.
Hey, it may be a pipe dream, but it's a darned GOOD ONE!
It will happen quietly over time, but retirements will happen, transfers will happen, various methods may be used. The Pope (Peace be upon him) will get his people into position.
In some cases it may happen faster. He recently issued an edict taking over two Franciscan priories in Assissi for being out of control.
This brings increased Catholic-as-society focus upon the importance and significance of Priestly character.
As in, their very compromises -- if, when they occur -- of these issues as to character in relationship to their vows, the Church and scripture, identify them as to this key issue of homosexuality, especially.
Already, I read many statements by many already in the Church who refuse to disassociate from homosexuality and it is by their own emergence in public view that they become known for their dissassociation from the vows they have claimed agreement and compliance with.
This is, actually, bringing the body of Catholic faithful into greater communion with one another and the church accordingly, and I think the specific 'hows' and specifics are yet to be defined, in response to your issue posed.
I truly love and admire Pope Benedict, and thank God for him.
"By way of follow up, the Vatican should immediately shut-down or take over those American seminaries that are infected with the homosexual rot."
I couldn't agree with you more.
The Vatican should close down the seminary here in Los Angeles for starters, and reopen it under all new administration.
It is a well documented fact that this seminary has been infested with homosexuals for decades.
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