Oh, there are no sour grapes here. I simply didn't have a vocation. And that's okay with me. Things worked out quite well for me. A wife, kids, career. I have no complaints. God has blessed me richly.
And I don't want to see hell prevail. Quite to the contrary. I want to stop the infiltration of the ranks of the clergy by homosexuals and other sick men that the celibacy rule for parish priests so much abets.
Ending the celibacy rule is quite obviously the most direct approach to severing the direct connection the Church has with the sewer pipe of the World. The fact that you so adamantly defend the connection to the sewer places you on the side of Hell, not me.
The anger that you correctly discern actually comes from my extensive exposure to your beloved "celibates." One of my parish priests really should have been in a mental institution, the poor man. He certainly should not have been in charge of a parish. I don't doubt that the "open wound" of a years of unnatural living contributed to his pathetic condition. Another very probably molested my nephew, yet another certainly molested a very dear friend of mine, even as his diocese did all it could to protect the molesters. A whole parade of others preached homosexuality from the pulpit and did everything that they could to advance the homosexual cause in the life of the parish. One of my parish priests is doing 30 years for molesting a whole series of boys. Another of my parish priests actually wrote his doctoral thesis on how the Holy Spirit is calling the Church to acceptance of same-sex "love." He shouted this stuff from the rooftops, and our Pope-appointed bishop did nothing. Archbishop Weakland - well, what can I say? The name says it all.
I could go on and on, but I'll spare you the gory details.
Like I said above, based on my very extensive experience, the "celibate" clergy are the biggest collection of "nuts, flakes and fruits" this side of a granola bowl. And the celibacy rule is very clearly the main cause of this horrific calamity that has befallen our Church.
Only very rarely would a psychologically healthy man in this day and age choose the "open wound" of a lifetime of celibacy. Much more often, the "wound" is chosen as a cover for very sick men who want to worm their way into the lives of normal people. Especially those with the desire to molest boys.
And what I said to the our seminarian here is simply true. No sane parent would ever trust anybody in a Roman collar with the wellbeing of their children. This young man faces a lifetime of suspcion by the very people he would purport to help. Given that, I think it's incumbent upon any would-be priest to ask himself how much he can actually serve people who naturally fear him and suspect him of the worst sort of intentions imaginable.
Why take on a lifetime of the "open wound" when it's very understandably going to be taken as the mark of evil and not as a mark of holiness? Couldn't such an intelligent and sensitive young man better serve the people of God by getting married, having kids, getting a secular career and being active in the life of his parish? Wouldn't it make more sense to actually enter into real community with the people of God than to place himself into a position of lifetime suspcion?
It certainly would seem that way to me. But it's his choice, obviously.
Maybe it's not pleasant to hear, but what I say about the natural suspcion of Cathlic priests is pretty obviously true, as tragic as that fact may be.
I was asked above what I am doing about this. First, I never allow my kids anywhere near a Catholic priest, at least unless I'm standing exactly there to supervise. For the safety of my children it is incumbent upon me as a father to assume the worst at all times, especially of priests, who have earned the reputation that they have. I would never send my kids to a Catholic school since this almost invariably entails contact with priests. We talk about why it's important to stay away from priests and why we must assume that they're wicked for our own safety, even if they're not. I make sure that they watch the documentary on Fr. Oliver O'Grady (excellent flick, by the way, if you can stomach it) and all of the boys and girls he destroyed with the complicity of the hierarchy. I would have them talk to my friend who was molested and who so heroically dealt with the horrible trauma of his ordeal.
And to their credit I'd say the celibates generally catch my drift and respect the boundaries I've set as a father. I'm sure that most of them aren't child molesters, but they seem to accept that I must assume that they are without exception. Good for them.
I also never give to any diocesan cause and will not until the Church gets serious about addressing the problem by requiring - as in the Eastern Rite - that parish priests be married men.
I also talk to as many of my fellow Catholics as possible about these matters and try to get them to see the dangers that the celibate clergy is to us and to our children.
I'm also open to suggestions. As a layman my options are obviously limited. But I do what I can do. I'd be very grateful for any helpful suggestions as to how I can better help the Church see the error of the celibacy rule for priests.
“I was asked above what I am doing about this.”
Unbelievable. You actually read that post and it had no effect?
G. K. Chesterton said that the reason for an open mind was to close it eventually on the truth.
You have closed yours on something dark and poisonous. I’d sooner trust a son with a sodomite (duly warned) than with you.