With the new Vatican directive on the admittance of homosexuals to seminaries, we are seeing the usual suspects like “gay and celibate” priest Fr. Gerard Thomas getting the vapors over the coming “purge” of the priesthood. Ironically, Thomas is one of the few who actually understand what the document is saying.
First, no matter how it is applied or interpreted or read by superiors and seminary rectors, this document will have the immediate effect of turning away any gay man who understands that he is gay. Any healthy, emotionally mature gay man will more than likely identify himself as someone with “deeply rooted homosexual tendencies,” in the words of the Instruction. For some reason, the rest of the media seem to think the big news is that Vatican bans “sexually active” gays or “transitory gays.”
Exactly. Of course, I think that “healthy, emotionally mature gay man” is an oxymoron, but then that disagreement is to be expected.
What’s funny is that Thomas and Andrew Sullivan and the rest of the cast of characters wailing and gnashing teeth over the reformation of seminaries into gulags miss the point entirely.
There is nothing new about this instruction.
This is not a new teaching. This is the same, old teaching and set of rules that have been in place for decades, right back to that 1961 instruction that said homosexuals are unsuitable for the priesthood. In fact, what all these people are complaining about losing has been forbidden all these years. Ordination of men with deep-seated homosexual tendencies has never been allowed. Any gay men who made it to ordination have been incidental and hopefully were men for whom homosexuality was a transitory phase.
What they are all complaining about losing is something they never had in the first place.
Technorati Tags: Catholic, homosexuality, priesthood
Of course the 1961 document only applied to seminaries of religious orders and there are questions on its currently validity. Which is exactly why the new document was so much needed as it has a much greater scope.
Granted, but the larger point is that the Church’s teaching in this area has been unchanged for centuries so there should be no surprise at this restatement of it.
The first thing I would do if I were Bishop of those questioning the Church’s teaching is call in those that cry the loudest and ask them where they are, and how deep seated their conviction is. If they continued to think the Church is in error …. simply say “God Bless and Good Bye! Leave your collar at the door. We will pray that you find common sense and for your healing”
I was listening to Bill Bennett’s excellent radio program “Morning in America” on the drive into work this morning. He interviewed Fr Owen Kearns of the National Catholic Register about this very topic. Fr Kearn said that a self-identified gay priest resigned in protest when this instruction came out and said that this instruction was the equivalent of the Nazis asking Jews to wear gold stars of David. When I heard the news of this priest’s resignation, my reaction was “Good bye, nice knowing you, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
We don’t need these immature kinds of priests and seminarians who put their disordered sexuality above the good order of the Church Christ founded.
Thank God for the Pope! Long may he reign! Plus, I hope he can enforce this instruction in the face of stonewalling bishops and religious superiors.