Posted on 04/07/2005 6:20:40 AM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Peter Novak has practiced Catholicism his whole life, starting as an altar boy and then studying for seven years toward becoming a priest.
Yet in recent months, the 39-year-old gay man, who did not complete his seminary studies, has been thinking about leaving the church because of the legacy of Pope John Paul's stance on homosexuality.
"It's not an easy life to do that, to want to maintain your identity as Catholic and gay," said Novak, who married his partner in San Francisco last year.
"The church came out very much opposed to gay marriage and I would say that was part of it," he said, explaining why he stopped going to Mass regularly more than a year ago. "It has challenged my ability to feel comfortable in the church."
Under Pope John Paul, the Vatican preached that gays should be treated with compassion but made clear it absolutely opposed gay sex and called homosexuality a disorder. The Pope referred to gay marriage as an "ideology of evil."
The Pope "would be very compassionate to the gay person," said Fr. Donald Cozzens, former president-rector of Saint Mary Catholic Seminary in Cleveland. Yet he would "require of them what he feels the Gospel requires of all of God's people, which is if you are not married, you do not have an active sexual life, whether within a committed relationship or not."
Many gay American Catholics ignore such teachings, as do heterosexuals who skirt church rules against birth control.
In areas such as San Francisco's Castro Street, a center of gay life, Catholic churches perform a delicate balancing act.
In front of the Most Holy Redeemer Church two blocks away, a billboard shows well-built male models urging gay men to telephone.
"We provide the teachings of the church with the understanding that people will make their own choices," said Michael Greenwell, a priest from the Carmelite Order.
GAY CATHOLICS AT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
DignityUSA, a group of gay Catholics, conducts its own services, often with former priests. After a 1986 Vatican letter denounced homosexuality as "an objective disorder," U.S. Catholic churches barred group meetings on their property.
So in San Francisco, Dignity meets weekly at a Presbyterian church.
Catholic teachings on homosexuality may not have changed much under John Paul, but his papacy coincided with the gay rights movements, AIDS and priest sex scandals highlighting issues related to homosexual clergymen.
The Pope also strongly opposed gay marriage, discussing it in his last annual address in January and calling it in his last book published in February "a new ideology of evil," which incensed many gays.
"The clock has been turned back during this papacy for gay people," said Jeff Stone, a DignityUSA member in New York.
In San Francisco, Catholics played key roles during last year's marriage of more than 4,000 same sex couples.
Mayor Gavin Newsom, a Catholic, ignited the issue by allowing the weddings until they were barred by the California Supreme Court. Then, just last month, a Catholic judge ruled California's ban on homosexual marriage unconstitutional.
Both traditionalists and reformers seem to agree the Vatican is unlikely to make changes toward gays under the next Pope.
"I don't think the teaching can or will change," said Mark Brumley, president of St. Ignatius Press, the largest U.S. Catholic publisher.
"Thanks to the legacy of John Paul II, we are going to see a much more energetic and persuasive presentation of the truth of that teaching about human sexuality," he said. "I think the next Pope will build on what John Paul II has done."
Neither have I really. Although with reading comprehension in the toilet these days, it does have some advantages of clearer communication. ;-)
Just Damn! Seven years of studies down the drain. Kinda like animal house, huh?
JPII did not originate the church's attitude toward gays, and I'm pretty sure the next pope wont change it either.
BTW, cool handle!
KJV not good enough, eh? ; )
" Peter Novak has failed Caltholism all his life"
Failed Christianity in general. That's why these churches like the United Church where they have practicing gay "ministers" is a risk to your spiritual wellness. They can't have the power to help anyone repent and have their sins forgiven through the power of the church, because they refuse to repent themselves. God's laws can't be changed by any church or Pope.
I thought about the situation more, and if one truly practices Catholicism their are many things one has to adhere to, such as no birth control, avoiding pre marital sex, etc...
I think the gay priests were attracted to the Priesthood because it was easy to maintain their lifestyle, while not practicing their religion. An interesting topic.
I'm a Jew, I don't follow the New Testament!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
WHAT!?
Everyone knows that for a liberal history doesn't exist as it does for you and I. For a liberal it begins again all new every morning. I imagine the poor gay chap must have picked up a newspaper on the way to the seminary one day ( probably the NY Times) and it thought the gay prohibition happened that morning.
Not the Bible that I speak of... you know, the original one.
It's gonna' get a lot worse...
Is everyone supposed to be filled with sorrow because this guy is considering leaving a church whose teachings he doesn't agree with?
Stop whining and get on it with, Percy.
Of course it does. Read Romans 1.
The only homosexuality addressed in the Torah is male homosexuality. If you can show me differently, feel free, but there's no mention of female homosexuality that I have found. I believe it was considered too trivial a behavior to be worthy of note.
The Tora is the Old Testement minus a few books the pharasies don't like.
It doesn't. I've checked. Try to find the phrase.
One wonders if the lapsed seminarian would have found the "no sex" rule easier to follow if he had attained his Holy Orders. It's not like they keep that part a secret when you sign up!
They should thank GOD that in this country, religious affiliation is completely voluntary.
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