The New York Times weighs in today with a front-page story on the forthcoming document from the Vatican that would bar homosexuals from seminaries.
A couple of things strike me. First, they claim to have a “Church official” with firsthand knowledge of the document. That’s pretty remarkable in and of itself since there are a lot of reporters banging their heads against of the doors of the Vatican trying to get that kind of access. Interesting.
Second, almost of the anonymous priests make a point (or the reporter makes a point) of mentioning that they remain anonymous for fear of repercussions. Yet everything we’ve heard about this document emphasizes that it will only apply to seminarians and will not apply retroactively to the ordained, especially if they are living according to the vows they took before God. So what’s the fear about?
Third, the unnamed official gives the standard that we’ve been speculating about: “...the document called for barring even celibate men who considered themselves homosexual because of what he contended were the specific temptations of seminaries.” The temptation bit sounds like what Archbishop O’Brien said.
And so even chaste men with same-sex attraction won’t be admitted. I also notice that it says “men who considered themselves homosexual.” It’s unusual for the Times to formulate that in such a way as to leave any doubt that homosexuality is an objective genetic predispostion, ingrained from birth and unchangeable. Instead, it makes it sound like a subjective understanding.
