NEWS: Homosexuals shouldn't be ordained as priests, Catholic Church says

In a few short weeks the Roman Catholic Church will be releasing a document that reaffirms it's tenet that homosexuals should not be ordained as priests. The timing of the release of this document coincides with a Vatican-mandated evaluation of all U.S. seminaries searching for evidence of homosexuals.
The document is seen to be an attempt by the church to strengthen the Feb. 2, 1961 "Instruction on the Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders," dicument that made it clear that homosexuality is an "evil tendency" and those who subcumb to these tendencies should not be allowed to be ordained.



This is another GIANT step back into the Dark Ages of ignorance for the church. It is an outright attempt by the church to once again demonize homosexuals. Add this to the earlier Witch Hunt that the Vatican has launched in the US seminaries to root out anyone who may (may not) be gay.

The RCC has taken alot of bad PR in the past few years maybe the identification of the new "devil" is there attempt to turn the eyes of the world (as well as their faithful) to another direction.

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Please help me.
Someone has just voted no as this is a repeat. I find no submissions of this story. Did I miss something?
Thanks

I don't get it this is for known homosexuals that want to be priest, but we all know that many of the sexual offenders in the church are not known until the deed is done.

So what kind of difference this is going to make? Many homosexuals in the church are not talking or telling anybody that they are.

Marge,
you are 100% right. it will make absolutely no difference.
What I am seeing is that the church is using homophobic fears of many people around the world to redirect the world's attention away from the church's own "sins". Basically demonizing the homosexual once again GRR!

The old shell game as it were.

I believe that you are right this another attempt by the church to start a persecution against homosexuals, period be in the church or anywhere else.

We have to understand the power of the church here if they declare war against homosexuals publicly people will go after them and it will not be in a nice peaceful way because is done in the name of the church.

Regardless of what many will said the church has lots of power over their followers, not all of them will get into a crusade against homosexuals but it will many that will do just that.

Cathlic church highers walk in.: " Ok guys, We need to add to the check list from God, Gay(evil)___ Straight(good)_____. Please check one.

Priests: So we are clear, touching the boys, Gay or Straight?

Why don't you stop and think about it, huh? We3 aren't talking about a job at Wal-Mart here, you are talking about the Priest hood. It is clearly and abomination according to the Church. Does it make sense that the Church would allow it? Uh, no. What is totally illogical is that anyone would think that the Church would allow it.
The only thing this indicates is that the Vatican is unwilling to let the secularlist dictate curch policy, and I say good for them!

TC,
If the Vatican was not just targeting homosexuals but actually targeted all, bot homosexual as well as the heterosexual then I would agree.
Since the Vatican editcs state that a priest should be celebrate then they need to instruct / police their priest members to ensure that the priests kept their vows.

TC,
Priest start working to become priest early in life. How early in life do you make a pesron KNOW if they are gay or straight?

SpittinCobra good point when do they develop the need for going after young boys?

Perhaps this is something that it can bring a big debate, if a man goes into priesthood and then 20 years later find himself lusting after young boys then that means that he was homosexual all its life and didn't know it?

Or is more to this that meets the eye, he is not homosexual he is a deviant and mental problems are to be included, and how about others? the ones that lust after young girls?

So the persecution should be against perverts, Right? not homosexuals linking sexual abuse of young boys to homosexuals is not right.

I have seen some amazingly stupid comments made by very intellegent people...

First off.... blind polls have stated that as high as 50% of the catholic preisthood is "gay" that doesn't mean that half of the clergy is child molesting...
Gay is a lifestyle... child molestation is criminal... different... and females were also molested...

Also... Does anyone ever question that the quotes against homosexuality in the bible (Leviticus 18:22) are also right along side such "rules" as:

Leviticus 25:44 says it is alright to own slaves, as long as they are from neighboring countries...
Leviticus 1:9 sacrifice a bull as a burnt offering
leviticus 11:10 eating shellfish is also an abomination to god... (no shrimp for the christians)
Lev. 21:20 says you may not approach god if you have a flaw in your vision... to bad for all those visually impared
Lev 19:27 you must not trim your hair around your temples... (hippies are godly)
Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes you unclean... What ever happened to FCA? no more christian footballers?

and the teatottler of them all:
Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, or by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend).
and cursing/blaspheming (Lev. 24:10-16) are punishable by stoning to death by the entire town
so lets just back of the support for the levitical beleiving christian extremist sect (unless you want to be arrested for religious extremism)

lets look at this logically... If the polls are correct, and almost half of the clergy is gay, then they have some serious recruiting issues...
and what are they going to do with all the out of work gay priests? there are only so many openings for minumalist interior designers in the world...

It is not news that the Church says homosexuals shouldn't be priests. The only news here is that a document affirming that is being released.

The Instruction does not represent a change in Church teaching or policy. Catholic leaders have consistently taught that homosexual men should not be ordained to the priesthood. Pope John XXIII approved a formal policy to that effect, which still remains in effect. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, that policy was widely ignored, particularly in North America.

www.ewtn.com...

It's not a new "witch hunt" or "persecution" it is merely what always was and the position is being re-stated because it has been widely ignored. It's the media and everyone else turning this into a suppossed witch hunt.

Who honestly thinks the stance of the RCC would be any different? This stance also goes beyond the issue of celibacy, since it is a given that RCC religious orders are to remain celibate, as are all Catholics outside of a marriage, and therefore I may point out, by default any Catholic homosexual would therefore be celibate anyway. This is really more about the RCC addressing the fact that one of their previously held beliefs is being ignored in many circles.

It is believed by the Church that homosexuality is a trial, and homosexuals must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. However, the Church has the right to deem what characteristics would be an unrealistic burden on a candidate for religious orders.

You don't have to agree with anything the RCC does, but in all honesty I think some of you are taking this well beyond what it is.

Actually the "Witch Hunt" is what gay activists have called the Vatican's investigation of American seminaries.

The Catholic Church demands celibacy of its priest and gay activists said the latest review amounted to a witchhunt.

That was my point, the media and other people are the ones turning this into more than it is, which is merely stating again, what has been the practice to begin with.

Practice vs actuallity...
they should be the same, obviuously in this context they are not...

Homosexuality has existed within the catholic church for as long as the church itself...
Much like the military...
they should "dont ask, dont tell"

human sexuality still seems to bug a large portion of the religious right...
I think I would much rather be taught god by a real person, rather than someone who pretends that hormones dont exist... when they damn well do...

But in reference to the announcement... yeah, we understand the statement... it just shows the the RCC will continue its hypocrisy...
good luck with that.

Actually this document as well as the Apostolic Visitation is being viewed fairly critically by the priesthood:

The Rev. Thomas Krenik, who taught for 10 years in St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota and wrote the guidebook "Formation for Priestly Celibacy," worries that a blanket ban on gay priest-candidates will re-create the very conditions the Vatican wants to eradicate.
Snip
Other seminary leaders have said a ban was pointless, since many clergy candidates do not realize they are gay until after they are enrolled or even ordained. And Krenik questioned whether the problem of subcultures of sexually active gays was as acute as the Vatican believes. He said that sexual activity was more prevalent a decade or so ago, before seminary administrators started clamping down on sexual misconduct — a trend that's intensified since the abuse crisis.
SNIP
Several priests challenged that argument and noted that heterosexual priests face their own temptations: The overwhelming majority of lay ministers who work side by side with clergy are women, yet no one has suggested banning heterosexuals from the priesthood.

Expected Vatican ban on gay seminarians sparks questions

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

What I want to know, does this mean that the Catholic church recognizes that homosexuality is genetic, rather than a choice?

Otherwise, it's pretty damn goofball. Like making somebody wear a promise ring, "no gayness around the collar, okay fellas?"

Lastly, having known and been friends with several Catholic priests, if the Church wants to cast out homosexuals from their legions, there won't be anyone left to turn the lights off.

There will be like 4 guys left.

Seriously.

We like to live under the illusion that our priests are John Wayne, patriotic, beef eaters. But, they're Rock Hudson. And every single one of these gay priests told me the same thing, they're the ones most comfortable with the celibacy rule.

I'm not anti-catholic, and I'm not bashing the church, so I'm not trying to start a flame war here. Just pointing out how silly this whole new witch hunt really is, especially when given the state the church currently finds itself in.

"I saw Lizzy Procter cavortin with the DEBIL!"

Well Brimestone735.
The church does not recognize homosexuality as anything other than "evil tendencies" So I agree with you. This edict as well as the "investigation" on the seminaries makes no sense and that it is discrimitory to the max.

Feb. 2, 1961 "Instruction on the Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders," dicument that made it clear that homosexuality is an "evil tendency" and those who subcumb to these tendencies should not be allowed to be ordained.

I don't believe the vatican is really serious about this. It's just lip service [no pun intended] to try and reclaim the large contributers of money and property that pretty much dried up because of the pedophile scandels.

If all the homosexual priests were excommunicated you couldn't get up enough people for a good game of vollyball.

So what if priests are gay, how does that effect their ability to minister to the flock.

LazarusTheLong

posted on 22-9-2005 at 08:37 AM

Gay doesn't mean child molester... NOT THE SAME

I have seen some amazingly stupid comments made by very intelligent people...

I reread each post, not one person has said anything about molesters and gays being the same.




[edit on 22-9-2005 by SpittinCobra]