[Antoninus]

Good column posted for your comment.

[Mercat]

Amen

[Aliska]

It seems to me that during the upheaval after Vatican II, the church may have somewhat welcomed homosexual priests for a reason I haven't seen discussed. Nobody really understands homosexuality, and perhaps the church leaders thought that homosexual priests would be chaste and here comes the kicker:

There was a mass exodus of priests after Vatican II to marry. After going to all the expense of educating and training them, they left, as did lots of nuns.

Perhaps the church erroneously thought that homosexual priests wouldn't cause the scandals that heterosexual priests got themselves into with women.

I would rather have maintained the ideal of celibacy but now I have come to believe that allowing more married priests would increase the pool of worthy men from which to choose.

[Antoninus]

Ping...

[Campion]

He didn't just hit the baseball out of the ballpark ... it's now in orbit and someone should tell NORAD.

[OxfordMovement]

AMEN. Bump.

[Aliska]

One more general comment. Most of the cases of alleged and real abuse occurred 20 and 30 years ago. I haven't heard about this happening lately, at least nowhere near the percentage that happened in the past.

[ThomasMore]

Why do an estimated 80-90 percent of the victims of these molestations happen to be teen-age boys? True pedophiles tend to prey on pre-pubescent members of the opposite sex - not same-sex adolescents, which characterizes a different disorder called ephebophilia.

I've been preaching this all along. But you won't see the media touch this. When this finally hits the mainstream, many eyes will be opened and even the Boy Scouts will be exonerated. This whole issue is about homosexuality.

BTW, when statistically looking at the perpetrators and not the victims (pedophiles typically have more victims, i.e. Goeghan with 130) one sees that the percentage of ephebophiles and pedophiles is 98% ephebophiles compared to 2% pedophiles.

[Notwithstanding]

This is a HUGE problem in the US armed services ever since women were placed into the same units as men - and then ever since being a homosexual soldier was no longer verboten.

It makes no sense. (Same with coed dorm rooms on campus). Why on earth would we create such huge sexual temptation for people by placing them in such close quarters 24 hours a day?

[ThomasMore]

There is only one solution here, and it is this: the seminaries must refuse Holy Orders to those with same-sex attractions.

Be prepared to lose about 2/3 of the seminarians at the Mount. It is an exception to be straight. You get written up for seeing a girl, but "shower games" are overlooked!

[Renatus]

God calls homosexual and heterosexual men to the sacred priesthood. This is evidenced from the fact that both are serving God in the sacred priesthood today. He expects them to lead pure, holy, celibate and chaste lives. If they do not and give scandal the bishop should deal with them in a manner he deems appropriate. The out-of=control mob screaming from the sidelines should let God be God and let the people He chose to rule His Church rule Her. If the rulers fail let God punish them. (Might read Dante's "Inferno".) It's the way Christ established His Church. Remember, this is Christ's Church and none of us need fear for the Holy Spirit is in charge.

[chatham]

Good Post!

Look at the Roman Catholic Faithful website for a look at the subculture within the Church, http://rcf.org.

[lds23]

I've heard that ministers ordained elsewhere (Lutherans, e.g.), can be married, apply for Catholic priesthood,and remain married even when they receive their vestments. I emphasize I've only heard this anecdotally, and am not sure this is a fact (and am not really sure how to check on it).

Anyway, I hope the celestial and temporal authorities will deal strongly with any priest (regardless of orientation) who breaks his vow of chastity. That being said, I pray for those priests who have kept to their vows and who have to suffer along with the bad apples.

[grumpster-dumpster]

Terrific post. The author spells it out clearly and concisely. There's not a whole lot of room there to argue...Thank goodness!

[Lady In Blue]

A very good article,using just plain common sense,IMHO!

[PGalt]

Good exchange bump.

[Steve0113]

bump for later.