Winding Path to St. Stanislaus (Homosexual accusations in Poland)

As the Rev. Marek Bozek moved into the nave of St. Stanislaus Kostka church, about 2,000 people, jammed into every crevice of the church and the church hall next door, stood up and cheered.

It had been 18 months since the church had its own pastor and two years since the Polish parish and St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke had begun a dispute that this month led to the excommunication of its board members and Bozek, its newly hired priest.

But on Christmas Eve the parish's focus was on Bozek, and Bozek's focus was on Christ. As he approached the manger scene next to the sanctuary for his first Mass as pastor of St. Stanislaus, the priest placed the baby Jesus in the manger and knelt to pray. In his homily a few minutes later, Bozek thanked the congregation for its loud welcome. "But believe me, I did not come here for applause," he said. "I did not come here to be powerful, to be a warrior or a hero."

It wasn't until Christmas morning, in a different homily, that Bozek told his new parishioners about a prior episode in his life that helped prepare him for this latest challenge to authority. "God tries us with fire to make our faith stronger," he told them.

Five years ago, Bozek and Catholic church leaders in Poland were at odds about something more personal than the St. Stanislaus dispute. It was an accusation that forced him to flee his homeland, landing in Missouri, and, finally, in the pulpit at St. Stanislaus parish.

Well, but if he is "celibate and chaste" then he cannot be a heterosexual either. So, if true, then he transcended sexuality and the question lost meaning.

No, the question did not adequately address the matter -regardless the answer which in my opinion was evasive rather than addressing the issue head on.

Heterosexual is what all truly free human beings are regardless -it is the natural predisposition. Homosexuality describes a disorder that predisposes one to homosexual activity. The fact that one is celibate and chaste has nothing to do with their predisposition be it disordered, transitory, etcetera...

The "criteria" involve more than celibacy and chastity - the recently published guidelines address this:

Criteria for the Discernment of Vocation for Persons with Homosexual Tendencies

2. Homosexuality and the Ordained Ministry
From the time of the Second Vatican Council until today, various Documents of the Magisterium, and especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church, have confirmed the teaching of the Church on homosexuality. The Catechism distinguishes between homosexual acts and homosexual tendencies.
Regarding acts, it teaches that Sacred Scripture presents them as grave sins. The Tradition has constantly considered them as intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law. Consequently, under no circumstance can they be approved.
Deep-seated homosexual tendencies, which are found in a number of men and women, are also objectively disordered and, for those same people, often constitute a trial. Such persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. They are called to fulfil God's will in their lives and to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter.
In the light of such teaching, this Dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question, cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called "gay culture".
Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.
Different, however, would be the case in which one were dealing with homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem - for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded. Nevertheless, such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to the diaconate.

There is a list of questions NOT being asked and answered. How does this guy, without money or knowledge of the English language, dismissed from seminary upon questions of homosexuality, make a bee-line to Springfield Missouri where he is housed, fed, and given a college education? It had to have been arranged, but by whom?
Also, this church has usually small attendance, now suddenly 2,000 (reported) show up for a Mass faithful Catholics have been told to avoid. The number was expected, as they had the big-screen TV set up in an annex.
Then the City of St. Louis sends fire department equipment to wave a flag in front of the church. It looks more like a political rally (I smell Democrats) than a Midnight Mass.

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