Posted on 09/24/2005 11:30:10 AM PDT by tuesday afternoon
Washington DC, Sep. 23, 2005 (CNA) - In an interview with the Washington Times regarding the Vatican’s new document which will reportedly bar homosexual men from seminaries, Fr. Joseph Fessio, head of Ignatius Press and provost at Ave Maria University, said that a deep seeded sexual ethics problem lies at the root of the Church’s decision, and of the sex abuse scandal which has come to light in recent years.
"Both the present Holy Father and many Catholic scholars and commentators”, he told the Times, “have realized the sexual-abuse crisis was a sign of something much deeper and more widespread.”
Fr. Fessio pointed to a directive issued by Pope John XXIII in 1961 which said that ordination "should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers."
That directive, he said, has been largely ignored or watered down in subsequent decades.
"There emerged a justification,” he noted, “a whole philosophy saying same-sex attraction is one of God's gifts."
"That's what was so insidious. Now in our present culture -- which is obsessed with sex -- the church must make sure its own ministers are not contaminated by this secularized worldview," he said.
A 2004 fact finding report showed that some 81 percent of the priestly abuse cases involved boys or young men.
Opponents and several gay-rights activist organizations have expressed outrage at the document which is expected to be released in the near future by the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education.
The document reportedly contains no change in Catholic teaching which has consistently held that homosexual men--even celibates--should not be ordained, and that homosexual tendencies point to a deeper disorder.
Likewise, the document is said to encourage already-ordained homosexual priests to make a renewed commitment to living a chaste life.
God Bless her, she was an 'enforcer' of strict discipline, and had a fun side, too.
For 40+ years, we have had an avoidance of the concept of sin. It's as if sin and evil miraculously disappeared after VatII and we were left with "mistakes" and peccadillos, which were somehow even a little cute and winning as expressions of our charmingly roguish personalities.
I have so often heard priests at the Confiteor suggest in a bright and cheery voice that the congregation reflect on their "mistakes" or their "failings." No more of this nasty sin stuff. And of course, now we are seeing the results of 40 years of being told that there's no such thing as sin. It's blatant, it's everywhere and it has burrowed itself into the heart of the Church.
Are you saying that there was a point in the past when all priests were faithful to their vows of chastity? When was that?
The Sacrament of Matrimony confers Divine grace to support the spouses in the duties of their state, as well. Are you suggesting that there was a point in time when all spouses were faithful to their marriage vows?
There's more to the reasons for excluding certain groups than sexual practices. That's one thing that doesn't seem to penetrate these arguments.
That's a non-starter. Never going to happen. There are tomes written on why this will never be, not the least of which is that a priest is married to the Church.
What does one have to do with the other?
And the real name of the sacrament is actually Penance.(Pet peeve)
There is also a lack of the concept of sacrafice that permeates the whole society. It goes hand in hand with the concept of sin. Behavior changes are more likely to be a result of something economic rather than love of God these days.
In brief, here is why Roman Catholic Priests are perpetually celibate. In the Old Testament, during the one time a year the priest offered sacrifice he had to be continent (sexually celibate) and live apart from his wife.As the New testament Priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the New Covenant Daily, perpetual continence/celibacy is apt. Now, if this Apostolic Discipline is changed, I will accept it but the intellectual case for its retention is gaining momentum; all the inertia is on the side of it staying a Discipline
A specious argument not supported by the facts.
Sexual Abuse of Children by Protestant Ministers
Protestant churches face pastor shortage
By the way, most pedophiles are married men.
Married men were indeed ordained but they were required to adopt the discipline of lex continentiae, total continence regarding a conjugal life with their spouse. Once ordained, single priests were not allowed to marry.
Suggest you brush up on your history by reading the following:
Pope John Paul II granted a very limited number of dispensations to the discipline of celibacy in his Pastoral Provision allowing the ordination of some, mostly Anglican, Protestant minister converts who came to the realization that the Catholic Church was the one true Church. Ordination is not automatic, the process is a lenghty one, and prior to ordination said converts must agree that should their spouse precede them in death that they will then adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life.
The Catholic Church is composed of 22 Churches sui juris in six distinct Rites. The five Eastern Rites will indeed ordain married men but will not allow a priest once he's ordained to marry. Bishops are selected exclusively from amongst celibates.
I think if the gays are rooted out of the seminaries, good honorable men will flock in. There's been a concerted effort to label conservative heterosexual men as misfits by the gays in charge, according to Michael S. Rose, Goodbye Good Men. This cleansing is long overdue. May the Lord protect this good and fearless Pope.
I think if the gays are rooted out of the seminaries, good honorable men will flock in. There's been a concerted effort to label conservative heterosexual men as misfits by the gays in charge, according to Michael S. Rose, Goodbye Good Men. This cleansing is long overdue. May the Lord protect this good and fearless Pope.
The current homosexual scandal in the Church does a pretty good job of backing up my contention.
Name me some other religions (aside form Mormons) who allow their pastors to marry who have homosexual / pedophillic scandals happening. Lutherans? Baptists? Jews? Evangelicals?
Celibacy is NOT a normal human state for man or woman. To continue to insist upon it and denying that sexuality is one of God's gifts has lead us to this morass.
You know not of what you speak.
Sexual Abuse of Children by Protestant Ministers
Sex abuse spans spectrum of churches
Sexual misconduct in schools extensive
Celibacy is NOT a normal human state for man or woman. To continue to insist upon it and denying that sexuality is one of God's gifts has lead us to this morass.
Those who choose the discipline of celibacy do so freely. No one is forced to take the vow. That's one of the reasons why the formation process to become a Priest is such a lengthy one. No one has a right to be ordained a Catholic Priest either.
The question you should be asking ypurself is why there are so few "ministers" who follow the example of Christ, St. Paul, John the Baptist, the Apostles, et al in choosing the discipline when it was so highly praised by same.
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