deep rooted tendancies
The Vatican has issued a document on admitting homosexual men to the Catholic priesthood. Why? Because the priesthood is loaded with homosexuals and it has to justify them being there somehow, because gay sex is not encouraged in the priesthood.
But neither is heterosexual sex. It's also forbidden.
In short, the document says its OK to be a gay priest as long as you are celebate, don't support the gay culture, and don't live in a way that one would be publically be indentified as homosexual.
In other words, SUPPRESS EVERYTHING HOMOSEXUAL ABOUT YOU. Id you cant do that( ahnd nobody can) you are banned from entering the priesthood. And thats the point. Nothing will change.
Why? Because, according to the church, homosexual practice is morally unjustifiable. "Such a way of living would stand in conflict with Catholic teaching about homosexuality."
Well, that's a good argument for eliminating gay priests.They`re supposed to be promoting this Catholic teaching, aren't they?
What the Church wants is more priests, as they are all dying off and not getting replaced. The average age of priests is over 65 and rising. So they are happy to get gay priests as long as they live like straight ones. They also tend to be younger and will last longer. But how about eliminating some of the straight ones as well as I actually thought that such a way of living would stand in conflict with Catholic teaching about heterosexual priests as well, as the Church teaching considers that all sexual practice outside marriage, including masturbation, is a sin. Priests are unable to marry.
Imagine if a Vatican document instructed heterosexual priests to live in such a way as not to be identified as a heterosexual, and priests were to refrain from supporting the heterosexual culture.
But the church wants priests to be "mature", or in other words, men need not apply if they think that might want to have sex with men - interestingly they describe such men as having a "deep rooted tendancy". An unfortunate description, you may say.
The document begins by excluding practising homosexuals. But why just homosexuals, given the teaching of the Church. Could it be that some heterosexual priests at the Vatican are living out their "deep rooted tendancies" on the side?
Of course the Church could permit their priests to marry, there's nothing in the Bible that prohibits priests to marry. In fact there's nothing in the Bible that says you have to have Catholic priests at all. But Catholic teaching has more weight than the Bible.
Perhaps the reason that Catholics are loathe to let their priests to get married is that some of the gay priests in Canada, and other countries that permit gay marriage, would do just that. Then the Church would have to limit marriage to heterosexual priests as homosexual sex is a sin even within marriage as it is seen as a greater sin than heterosexual sex in the eyes of the Vatican.
I would have thought a criteria for a Catholic priest is that you have to be male, celibate, Catholic and a Christian, before discussing sexual orientation and practice. Wanting to live the life of a priest -as dictated by the Vatican- would help.
But no.
Never mind, at least the Vatican doesn't have any problems with admitting lesbians to the priesthood.
5 comments:
Dave
there is so much incorrect about your post that I won't even bother
addressing it.
But there is one valid question:
you aren't Catholic, so why should it bother you?
Dave does have a point here. What ever happened to love the sinner but hate the sin? By being celibate as a priest is by definition there is no problem. If it is the "potential for sin" which grates the church I believe their track record with admitting, and dealing with child molesters should warrant a bit more attention.
Dave certainly does have a point.The first anon comment ( and I know who you are) said there was so much that is incorrect and I was not a Catholic. The fact that I am not a catholic is irrelavant.
Secondly, if there is "so much incorrect about my post" at least you would have the decency to explain what is incorrect, and why.
Then we will all know. But for now we will assume that you have no basis for your assumptions.
OK you asked and I didn't have time to put my full ID in earlier.
The Vatican has issued a document on admitting homosexual men to the Catholic priesthood. Why? Because the priesthood is loaded with homosexuals and it has to justify them being there somehow, because gay sex is not encouraged in the priesthood.
There a number of gay priests, but there are not "loads". Best estimates put it at about 5%.
No-one really knows the precise number.
In other words, SUPPRESS EVERYTHING HOMOSEXUAL ABOUT YOU.
Ummm..no, control the homosexual desires for sexual activity. Same as for a heterosexual priest would for heterosexual desires.
The average age of Catholic priests is not over 65. Worldwide the average age is about 56/57. To be fair it is rising. However, the average age in Asia and the Africa's is closer to 30. It is probably from there that most new priests will come from for the next 50 years.
The major reason for the issue of the document is because studies in the United States and other areas have shown that >90% of the abuse that has gone on has been committed upon 10-17 year old boys(I am not justifying or defending the way the abuse has been handled in some cases). The abuse is, by and large, homosexual in orientation. Another reason is the fact that a 1962 recommendation on this matter was ignored for the 30 years post-Vatican II. Armed with hindsight and experience, Benedict XVI has brought attention to the document again.
Priests are unable to marry.
In the Western rite yes, in the Eastern rites they are- it is only Bishops and above in the Eastern rite who should be unmarried. Remember, there are 22 official rites of the Catholic Church, not just the Roman one that everyone loves to bag.
Of course the Church could permit their priests to marry, there's nothing in the Bible that prohibits priests to marry.
The Church could permit priests to marry - yes. But it chooses not to for prudent family reasons and also the fact that most of the Apostles were unmarried, and that IS in the Bible. St. Paul not only continued his pre-conversion celibacy as a Christian but recommended it for those who would be dedicated to serving God in this world (1 Cor. 7:7, 17, 32-35).
In fact there's nothing in the Bible that says you have to have Catholic priests at all.
To deny the role of a priesthood is to deny Abraham, Moses and the Jewish priesthood as well. Like the general power to bind and to loose (cf. Matthew 16:19; 18:18), the power of remitting and retaining sins was solemnly bestowed on the Church by Christ (cf. John 20:21).
But Catholic teaching has more weight than the Bible.
That's funny, I must have missed that one in all my years of learning, as Catholic teaching states that the Bible is an important foundation of all Catholic teaching and practice. That's why there are 45 direct quotes from scripture in the order of the Catholic Mass, we have Old T., New T. and Gospel readings at each mass and why we even bother to go to Mass, especially on Christmas (and Easter).
As a footnote, the abuse by clergy is indefensible and punishable under standard law. But Catholic priests are not the only ones committing such crimes.
My point still stands. You are not Catholic, why should it bother you? You may not like the Catholic Church, but so what? I have issues with the teaching of the Baptist Church and the Mormon Church, but I respect their right to determine their own destiny, structure and organisation.
So there is a basis for "my assumptions" Dave - it is reading the facts.
Mr Tips,
This document - written primarily about Roman Catholic priests, who are not allowed to marry or have sex - is not just about controlling the desires for homosexual activity, it is also about a gay priest not identifying as a homosexual or supporting " homosexual culture". It is activity as well as culture - and I would say identity as well.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_rcc.htm
This link indicates how many RC priests are gay and it's more than you think. Way more than 5 percent. It also indicates that my average age of priests was spot on.
With regards to cellibacy, thats a post on its own. If priests were celebate because they wanted to serve God, well then there wouldn't be as many gay priests or the call from Bishops to revoke the cellibacy ban. If you say RC priests are unmarried because "most of the apostles were" that means some weren't - so why the blanket ban?
With regards to the priesthood there's a difference between the priesthood of the believers ( as in the Bible) and the priesthod of the Catholic Church. The priesthood of believers is not an " office".
You say I dont like the Catholic Church. Wrong. I actually got married in one. I happen to like much of what goes on in the Catholic Church, particularly grassroots stuff. I just dont like the Vatican attempts at control, thats all. BTW you mentioned that the Bible is an important foundation of the Church. You didnt say that tradition is equally important. Also, why dont most Catholics take their Bibles to church, or read them during the week, if the Bible is so important?
The church has every right to determine its own destiny etc. It would be helpuful if its teaching, and the implication of that teaching was consistant in the lives of Catholics.
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