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Catholic clergyman blames scandal on homosexuality; calls U.S. 'immoral' nation
Boston.com/AP ^ | 4/22/02 | Elizabeth Lesure

Posted on 04/22/2002 8:19:12 AM PDT by LarryLied

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:07:43 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

As Cardinal Edward Egan headed to the Vatican for a summit on sexual abuse, his stand-in at St. Patrick's Cathedral gave a homily blaming the scandal on homosexuality and an ''immoral country.''

Monsignor Eugene Clark, an outspoken clergyman of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, called homosexuality a ''disorder'' and said gay men should not be allowed to become priests, the Daily News reported in Monday's editions.


(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholic; homosexual; priest
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To: Thorn11cav
Homosexuality is NOT A SIN !!... What has this priest been smoking.

What have you been smoking? The article stated that the Msgr. said the tendency to homosexuality is not a sin...but the practice of homosexuality is a grave sin.

21 posted on 04/22/2002 8:55:13 AM PDT by pgkdan
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To: LarryLied
"Clark also said the United States is ''probably the most immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere'' and blamed American society for being ''very protective'' of homosexuality. "

Sure blame the United States. sheesh.... nothing like a little denial to help you through the day.

Perhaps what he meant to say was "this Church is probably the most immoral Church certainly in the Western Hemisphere. I blame the Church for being very protective of homosexuality."

22 posted on 04/22/2002 8:56:42 AM PDT by monday
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To: Huck
His argument would be much more forceful if he backed it up with facts.

I see your point, but he was giving a homily, not participating in a debate.

23 posted on 04/22/2002 9:04:55 AM PDT by ELS
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To: Thorn11cav
Homosexuality is NOT A SIN !!... What has this priest been smoking.

You are confused. What he is saying is that homosexual attraction is a (disordered) temptation, not a sin. Homosexual acts are sins, as are all sex acts outside marriage.

Maybe you need to read a bit more carefully ... or are you only looking for ammo?

24 posted on 04/22/2002 9:08:40 AM PDT by Campion
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To: LarryLied
Monsignor Eugene Clark, an outspoken clergyman of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, called homosexuality a ''disorder''and said gay men should not be allowed to become priests, the Daily News reported in Monday's editions.

This guy needs a reality check. Maybe he should return to planet earth and live amongst the rest of us. Is it any surprise, to any one, that a religion who boasts its sanctimonius celibacy is failing miserably. Even Jesus said if you can't be like me un-married then get married. Otherwords quit pretending.

Don't blame it solely on the Gays you are creating this problem. We all knew this for decades and the real sad part about it is, it's World Wide not just in America. If one thinks this practice is not taking place in The European Countries where homosexuality is an accepted practice you need a reality check also. If one thinks the Nuns and the Priest have not sinned together wake up again. Wake up for GODS sake "Celibacy has failed from its inception". Lets investegate the rest of the World and get the real truth! Not Just In America.

Investigate the whole thing. Do it for all those that attend and practice their religion in a great, honest and faithful manner. Spare us the excuses and U.S. bashing.

25 posted on 04/22/2002 9:12:51 AM PDT by chachacha
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To: sinkspur
Blaming the United States moral climate for bishops covering up pederasty?

Referring to the article itself (not your words) I'd take any word from AP on this subject with a very large grain of salt. Specifically, the word "blaming" is nowhere found in the text of what the Monsignor said, at least in this article, and probably in the entire text of what he actually said. The word is the AP writer's, who I'm guessing has probably wrested a few select portions of the talk from their context, and then twisted them back together in a re-arrangement designed to leave the impression that the church is blaming someone else for her problems. A text without a context is a pretext, and if it were not a sin I would be willing to bet that any reasonably discerning person such as yourself who heard the entire talk would recognize that this article presents a distorted view of what was said.

Cordially,

26 posted on 04/22/2002 9:13:26 AM PDT by Diamond
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To: joesnuffy
Perhaps Luther and Calvin vindicated?

In the case of Luther, repudiation, not vindication.

Let Your Sins Be Strong:
A Letter From Luther to Melanchthon
Letter no. 99, 1 August 1521, From the Wartburg
(Segment)
Translated by
Erika Bullmann Flores
from: _Dr. Martin Luther's Saemmtliche Schriften_Dr, Johannes Georg Walch, Ed. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.), Vol. 15,cols. 2585-2590.

"Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. ... No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day."

27 posted on 04/22/2002 9:16:28 AM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
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To: sinkspur
Would you agree that homosexual lust is a sin?
28 posted on 04/22/2002 9:18:27 AM PDT by marajade
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To: Huck
"rampant" is not useful.

I believe the point attempting to be made in mentioning the Kennedy's and Clinton is that Americans twice elected immoral people like Clinton and hold the dubious Kennedys in fairly high esteem, even with all the past Kennedy family scandals, includy Senator Teddy's past extensive boozing and womanizing, showing an easy acceptance of generally immoral behavior in America, even in our highest public officials.

The 'rampant' term would indicate to me the current widespread promotion for homosexuality being enacted by state legislatures in the form of mandated homosexual-positive 'sex education' material in public schools and 'sensitivity' seminars for adults in some corporations where homosexuality is always viewed as positive and worthy of every possible protection possible if not flat-out special protection.

The media portrayal of homosexuals and the homosexual 'lifestyle' is always posaitive and the entertainment shows always portray homosexuality to be fun, normal and beyond any possible negative comment. Serial partners, STD's, AIDS and a drastically shortened lifespan are just a few of the realities omitted from these shows and any negative aspects only occur when some knuckle-dragger dares to make some 'mean' comment or berate a homosexual in the slightest way. That character is usually portrayed as evil or stupid and is generally vilified.

In short, the widespread media, legal and political acceptance and endorsement of homosexuality has become 'rampant' in American society, to our loss, and the Catholic clergyman, Monsignor Clark, made a good point when he indicated that the easy acceptance and 'normalization' of homosexuality was a large part of the problem. What the Monsignor omitted was that the Catholic Church seems to have bought into the pro-homosexual trend in America and freely admitted homosexuals to the priesthood, then, like the secular world has done, simply ignored the homosexual acts these priests forced on young men under their authority or at least their priestly influence, and simply moved them from church to church, pretending that there was no problem and the homosexual acts didn't matter. Now, they're reaping the whirlwind of that misguided decision to join the secular world and attempt to see homosexual perversion as normal and acceptable when the Word of God says the opposite.

29 posted on 04/22/2002 9:18:53 AM PDT by Jim Scott
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To: Diamond
Well, I've heard enough out of the mouths of these senior clerics to know that many of them don't get the depths of the problem, or don't want to admit that the Catholic Church is entirely to blame for this crisis. Blaming an "immoral society" is always convenient.

Even Fr. Groeschel, widely, respected for his sprituality, said that priestly pederasty is not a major problem in the Church.

That's just clueless.

30 posted on 04/22/2002 9:18:55 AM PDT by sinkspur
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To: Thorn11cav
''The tendency to homosexuality is a disorder, not a sin,'' Clark said in his 15-minute sermon Sunday. ''But the practice of homosexuality is truly sinful.''

Quote the Monsignor accurately, troll. If thoughts were equivalent to acts, then you would be on life support in an ICU after the beating I've just delivered to you.

31 posted on 04/22/2002 9:21:02 AM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
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To: marajade
Would you agree that homosexual lust is a sin?

Yes, as is heterosexual lust.

32 posted on 04/22/2002 9:21:15 AM PDT by sinkspur
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To: sinkspur
Agree. But we're talking about civil illegalities here; not just sin.
33 posted on 04/22/2002 9:23:21 AM PDT by marajade
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To: chachacha
Spare us the excuses and U.S. bashing.

I don't know if you've ever been to Europe but our immorality is all over the place. Our immoral movies are in their theaters, our porn is in the hotels, our stripteasing 'Madonna' makes the rounds in their convention centers and theaters. We have a bigger influence on them than they have on us. The French can not hold a candle to us. We are THE dominant cultural force in the world. Like it or not.

34 posted on 04/22/2002 9:26:12 AM PDT by Slyfox
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To: sinkspur
Monsignor Clark has a reputation for being a no-nonsense guy. He's not the kind of person who would engage in a "cover-up" of any kind, and his remarks are directed not just at homosexuals in general but at homosexuals within the Catholic clergy in particular.
35 posted on 04/22/2002 9:28:43 AM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: chachacha
Is it any surprise, to any one, that a religion who boasts its sanctimonius celibacy is failing miserably.

"Celibacy has failed from its inception".

Even Jesus said if you can't be like me un-married then get married.

Your argument is specious and borne out of ignorance. Celibacy wasn't the cause for these Protestants' perversions and crimes, was it. Tell us what Scripture has to say about fornication and tell me where the Commandment "Thou shalt be married" is.

36 posted on 04/22/2002 9:30:29 AM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
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To: LarryLied
Clark also said the United States is "probably the most immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere"

It figures that somebody who engages in these Clintonesque evasions of responsibility would be a Fidel-lover.

37 posted on 04/22/2002 9:33:10 AM PDT by steve-b
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To: Alberta's Child
Monsignor Clark has a reputation for being a no-nonsense guy. He's not the kind of person who would engage in a "cover-up" of any kind, and his remarks are directed not just at homosexuals in general but at homosexuals within the Catholic clergy in particular.

I didn't accuse him of covering up.

But blaming the "immorality of the US" for somehow allowing bishops to transfer pederast priests doesn't make much sense to me.

One of the Pope's closest acquaintances in Poland had to resign for improper actions with young boys. Has Krakow become sin city?

38 posted on 04/22/2002 9:36:25 AM PDT by sinkspur
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To: monday
"Clark also said the United States is ''probably the most immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere'' and blamed American society for being ''very protective'' of homosexuality. "

How fascinating.

Sao Paulo, Brazil was in the Western Hemisphere, the last I heard.

You know, the Child Prostitutuion Capital.

39 posted on 04/22/2002 9:43:18 AM PDT by Gorzaloon
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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