Posted on 04/03/2002 10:49:38 AM PST by Antoninus
I don't mean this in a mean-spirited manner, but some of you hardliners come across as steely and cold, as if rules are everything and people are robots. Good robots obey all the rules to the last jot and tit and bad robots get their hardwiring scrambled by all the conformity and repression and plasticity, just like my keyboard.
There must be a happy medium somewhere in all this. Don't you think that is the reason some of these priests go haywire in the first place? Growing up in such a rule-laden atmosphere takes all the spontaneity and fun out of life. Can't you see? Or do you want to sweep everything that doesn't fit under the rug?
There is no cohesive policy between all the Bishops in the U.S. and it's high time they get their act together.
In truth I believe that the Laity is more suited to run the business of the Dioceses and the parishes as evidenced by lies and deceit practiced by Amoral Idiots like Cardinal law and Egan.
How dare Law throw away 50 to 100 million dollars of the peoples money on Criminal activities of Homosexual Priests and stand up and declare "He won't resign", while at the same time he closes Parishes and schools built on the backs of the Faithful Catholics.
.Where does that money go?
Not to mention his continued disregard for the victims.
Providence.
Does your diocese have quite a few vocations
I believe 30+. Not nearly enough. We are fortunate and blessed. Cursillo, Charismatic Renewal, large active faith community, good pastor and four years ago Perpetual Adoration. I think those have been the ingredients for so many from our parish.
Thank you and God Bless you! I will do the same for you. It is too bad there is no room at the inn, so to speak. Its OK to get dispensation if you are anglican or episcopalian or lutheran! We have a way to go yet.
You paint with a very broad brush! First, I personally know about half the priests in our diocese. Just because they are celebate doesn't enhance the virtue of charity in them. And it is love that drives one to extraordinary works through grace. This is NOT limited just to celebate men! Sorry, but your wrong!
I have (not exactly on-fire Catholic) extended family members who think the solution is letting priests get married. Truly astonishing......
I said nothing about relaxing the discipline of celebacy to fix the pedophile/ephebophile problem in the priesthood. I don't believe relaxation of the discipline to be a solution to any problems. However, it is very interesting to read the posts on this thread.
If Mother Church ever decided to relax the discipline and make celebacy optional (as practiced in the east), would you have a problem with it? Do you see no value in married clergy? Can't these men be as holy as a celebate priest? Does it matter that a man once married finds he has a calling to serve God in the priesthood?
This is NOT the solution to the problem. To me, the discipline of celebacy is a side issue that has contributed, to one degree or another, to the problem.
You obviously don't know much about Mother Teresa. She was a very strong woman -- "meek and submissive" doesn't describe her. The most corrupt government bureaucrats that she had to deal with with were intimidated by her, because she didn't take any crap from them.
Cardinal Law and Egan are not amoral idiots. So many on this thread have become members of a hate-filled mob attacking those in authority in the Church. They remind me of the old westerns where a wild-eyed mob breaks into a jail, grabs a prisoner and takes him to the public square where he is hung from a tree. The Jews and Romans did the same thing to Jesus only hanging Him on a cross.
The grass roots applies pressure at the local level - praying, fasting, writing letters, making sure their priests and bishops know that homosexual behavior of any kind WILL NOT be tolerated.I'm with you so far. My next question would be, should we go one step further and insist that sexual behavior of any kind WILL NOT be tolerated?
And what do you intend to do about it? You have absolutely no authority; so why do you say "we"?
Yes, that is correct. I'm trying to resolve a lot of anger. I covered up some bad behavior of a nonsexual nature on the part of a priest, and another, and another, that should have been called to the attention of the bishop (as if he would have cared). I loved one of them and didn't want to get him into trouble. He may have had mental problems, I don't know.
I knew if I did anything about it they would not believe me and blame me instead. I can let that go but if I try to go back to the system the hurt and pain will get worse again. I talked to a couple of priests about it and they were somewhat understanding, actually, but they protect their fellow priests.
So I'm stuck and it's been so long I don't want to go back. I need a good excuse to leave and put it all behind me.
I don't want to tell you the name of my diocese.
The point people are trying to make was that if married priests were allowed, they would have a larger pool of candidates for the priesthood from which to choose.
Do you have any better ideas? Or must you cling to your mystique that we can make priests in our own image?
There are a lot of misfits (not just perverts) serving as priests and it isn't fair to them or to the people.
The pressure on those priests is terrible and many of them lead a life of unhappiness and unfulfillment because of impositions that even Christ did not insist upon.
By expecting so many men to live up to impossible standards, unless it is truly their nature, we are being extremely selfish and we are part of the problem.
You have absolutely no authority; so why do you say "we"?And by what authority do you say I have "absolutely no authority?"
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