[Polycarp]

It is important that any semblance of a gay element of the priesthood would have to be eradicated," he said.

But previous Vatican statements, like the Holy Father's Castel Gandolfo comments, have indicated that homosexuality as such - not only active homosexual behavior - is incompatible with the priesthood.

A 1961 instruction to the superiors of religious communities on "Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders" states:

Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers."

[Polycarp]

However, the known data on priestly sex abusers - and on abuse by homosexuals in general - does, in fact, point to a causal connection.

...Commenting last spring after the current scandal erupted, Jenkins noted that most clergy-abuse cases have involved minor boys who have sexually matured. "The proper word for a man who has sex with a boy of 16 or 17 is homosexuality," Jenkins said.

Sociological data also indicate that homosexuals as a group are far more prone than heterosexuals to engage in sex with minors.

"Although heterosexuals outnumber homosexuals by a ratio of at least 20 to 1, homosexual pedophiles commit about one-third of the total number of child sex offenses," said Tim Dailey, a senior fellow for culture studies at the Family Research Council.

Dailey released a report in May detailing the link between homosexuality and abuse of minors and noted that even homosexuals acknowledge the link.

"In The Gay Report, by homosexual researchers Karla Jay and Allen Young, the authors report data showing that 73% of homosexuals surveyed had at some time had sex with boys 16 to 19 years of age or younger," Dailey said.

[Orual]

..greater care in selecting candidates who have the capacity to live celibate lives and the exclusion of anyone with observable "deviations in their affections."

From a man that can speak skeighty-eight languages, surely he could say "homosexual" in one of them.

[ThomasMore]

Will the bishops in the U.S. follow through on this?(erradicating homosexuals from the ranks of the seminarians?) They haven't paid much attention to the admonitions of the Holy Father in the past. Will they on this?

[Catholicguy]

Good post. I would think anyone who likes Showtunes and knows that Periwinkle refers to a color should be refused admission to a seminary.

Just the rudimentary understanding of "occasions of sin" would preclude a homosexual seminarian were that seminarian to make his disordered sexual desires know to anyone.<>

[Aquinasfan]

"Sexually disordered men aren't appropriate candidates for priests."

We should all put this quote in a letter-to-the-editor to both secular and Catholic newspapers.

[Desdemona]

"Said Bishop Nienstedt: "If anything, the present seminarians are really the disciples of Pope John Paul II. They're not afraid. They've been inspired by this pontificate. They've been called to a kind of dedication and solid intellectual, spiritual and apostolic formation that he reflects.""

Alone, this is a good thing.

Great post.

[Aquinasfan]

Oops. The exact quote is: "It would be lamentable if, out of a misunderstood tolerance, they ordained young men who are immature or have obvious signs of affective deviations that, as is sadly known, could cause serious anomalies in the consciences of the faithful, with evident damage for the whole Church."

Not as great a soundbite.

[CatoRenasci]

Best thing the Church could do would be to get rid of all of the Poofters in the Priesthood and keep new ones out of the seminaries.

[Nephi]

Bishops are in agreement that no one should be ordained who cannot demonstrate a commitment to celibacy, Father Burns said.

"It is important that any semblance of a gay element of the priesthood would have to be eradicated," he said.

Wow, the Catholic Church is demonstrating that it can be as inspired as the Boy Scouts of America!

[lepton]

...the large majority of known incidents are cases not of pedophilia - the sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children - but molestations of teen-age boys by homosexual priests who have already been active with adults.

Bingo

[Romulus]

"I would say in the main that a person with a homosexual orientation would not be a good candidate for seminary life," [Bishop John Nienstedt of New Ulm, Minn., who is the newly elected chairman of the priestly formation committee] said. "The temptations are too great: You're living in an all-male environment, your closest friends are men. You're putting a person in harm's way."

OK, he's orthodox, but he still doesn't appear to get it. To him, as with so many of the American hierarchy, it's all about process: in this case, homosexuality's unacceptable in the priesthood because it interferes with smooth operations.

[John Paul]said in some parts of the world seminaries and theology institutes are promoting a "mutilated vision of the Church" and were forgetting "the essential: that the Church is participation in the mystery of Christ incarnate."

This is why homosexuality is wrong - not only for priests, but for all of us. By attempting to re-define man, homosexuality mutilates the image of God and corrupts a clear understanding of Christ's relationship to the Church. Homosexuality is to be condemned because it's bad christology and bad ecclesiology. The fact that most people find it naturally repugnant is merely evidence of the way divine law is reflected in natural law.

[justanotherfreeper]

Whereas 73% of priests between ages 56 and 65 supported the statement, "Celibacy should be a matter of personal choice for diocesan priests," only 33% of those between ages 25 and 35 agreed.

Umm -- admittedly, this is progress, but it still means one third of our priests thinks celibacy is optional. Am I the only person who thinks this is a tad high?

[yendu bwam]

Ten reasons why homosexuals should not be ordained:

1) They will be inordinately tempted to sexual sin in seminaries and in the priesthood, where they live in close quarters with other men. It's like having heterosexual men living in close quarters with women - showering with them - dressing with them, rooming with them, etc. etc.;

2) They will be sexually tempted (as we have sadly seen) by sexually mature teenage boys - leading in a not insignificant number of cases to extreme sin, and horrific abuse of those boys; 3) They will not be able to impart correct ideas of Catholic sexual morality to children and adults, having a disordered set of feelings and attractions themselves;

4) They will be tempted by the lies and promises of the gay activist agenda (you should express yourself sexually, you are normal, you will be a hero if you fight to normalize homosexuality within the Church, etc. etc.);

5) A great, great many parents will not trust priests around their sons until homosexuals are removed from the priesthood. And if they can't trust their priests with their sons, they will not trust their priests on other far less important things;

6) Most homosexual priests in the Catholic Church are active homosexuals. As such, they undermine the laity's confidence that the priests follow scripture and the Church's teachings in general;

7) Active homosexual priests break their vows. They make a mockery of their promises to God and the church. A priest who willingly and unrepentently breaks his vows inpires no confidence in parishioners;

8) They provide poor role models for young men whose sexuality is just developing;

9) Opportunities for blackmail within the Church will be significantly diminished; 10) We will not have priests dying of AIDs.

[onedoug]

"...and may God show mercy and forgiveness for the authors of this horrible terror attack...."

Something's screwy about this whole papel business.

[cebadams]

Bishop John Nienstedt of New Ulm, Minn., who is the newly elected chairman of the priestly formation committee, confirmed that warning, saying that he personally would have "serious reservations" in accepting a seminary candidate who is homosexual.

Recently we had Bishop Vigneron propose a Plenary Council and now Bishop Nienstedt is the chairman of the priestly formation committe. Both from Detroit. What a nice compliment to Cardinal Maida.

[Theresa]

A wonderful development. Things CAN get better and I think they will. It is always darkest before the dawn.