Posted on 04/20/2002 4:14:07 PM PDT by Notwithstanding
In a strong message days before a summit of U.S. churchmen on a sex abuse scandal, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II said Saturday that priests must live celibate lives and avoid scandalous behavior. Bishops, he said, must investigate such behavior and take action to end it.
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer
VATICAN CITY (AP) - In a strong message days before a summit of U.S. churchmen on a sex abuse scandal, Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II said Saturday that priests must live celibate lives and avoid scandalous behavior. Bishops, he said, must investigate such behavior and take action to end it.
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The scandals, in which several churchmen have been accused of abusing children and teen-agers, have shaken confidence in the American Church, cost it millions of dollars in settlements and raised questions about bishops' mishandling of the investigations.
The pope summoned American cardinals to a summit Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the matter an extraordinary measure that has underscored the urgency that the Vatican (news - web sites) now appears to feel is necessary to deal with the issue.
In his comments to the Nigerians, the pope didn't refer to sex offenders or pedophilia, focusing on the broader issue of the need for priests to live a life of poverty and celibacy.
The Vatican has spoken out about problems in the African Church of priests breaking their vow of celibacy and having relations with women.
"The value of celibacy as a complete gift of self to the Lord and his Church must be carefully safeguarded," John Paul told the Nigerians.
"Behavior which might give scandal must be carefully avoided, and you yourselves must diligently investigate accusations of any such behavior, taking firm steps to correct it where it is found to exist," he said.
John Paul's comments Saturday were his most extensive remarks about celibacy since the revelations of sex abuse began pouring out in the United States earlier this year. He broke his long silence in a pre-Easter letter to priests last month, decrying the scandal caused by some.
In the meetings this week, the cardinals will be looking to the Vatican for guidance and backing on a wide range of issues, foremost among them whether the church should ever consider reassigning sex offenders and creating a uniform American policy for reporting abuse claims to police.
In the United States, the Church is accused of covering up misconduct by priests, in some cases by moving known abusers from job to job.
Cardinal Bernard Law, head of the Boston archdiocese, has faced growing criticism since acknowledging he transferred a priest to another parish despite knowing of sexual misconduct allegations against the man. That defrocked priest later was sentenced to prison.
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The only way that I could do that is if somebody had me quick-frozen. I gotta hand it to anybody who does this and really sticks to the rules. There's no way I could.
He may be speaking to Nigerians. Violating celibacy with women is a systemic problem in Africa (with nuns) and in Latin America (priests live in open concubinage).
Celibacy will never be optional with John Paul II.
The sex drive has always been strong, but promiscuity used to be considered morally reprehensible by most people - today promiscuity is largely accepted as part of life. And as such the Church requires its priests to be witnesses to selfless sacrifice - which is one great benefit of celibacy. No one is forced to be a priest. No one is forced to marry. But those two commitments require one to make a lifelong promise about one's sexual behavior: chastity. Priests know when they make their lifelong promise that chastity means they promise to remain celibate for life. It is a wholly voluntary promise and they are not forced to be ordained.
God calls people to ministerial priesthood but the Church determines who is to be ordained. There is no right to ordination - otherwise anyone who claimed they were "called" would be entitled to ordination and the Church would not be able to set any prerequisites whatsoever.
The only way that I could do that is if somebody had me quick-frozen. I gotta hand it to anybody who does this and really sticks to the rules. There's no way I could.
God gives to the men whom He calls to the priesthood a special charism, or grace, to take up the spiritual weapon of chaste celibacy. Like all graces, it can be sinfully refused at any given moment; hence, the importance of the virtue of chastity, also God's gift.
Everyone else -- everyone else -- is called to chastity according to their state in life [i.e., conjugal relations for conjuges only], and receives the grace not to sin against purity, if they will accept and cooperate with it.
What is your real point?
The spiritually discerned won't get it. Unfortunately you fall into that category. Pray about it.
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