The Pilot has some interesting observations in their response to a query about the number of gay priests.
I don't know how a Catholic newspaper selects which questions to publish and respond to and which to throw in the trash, but I think this question should have made it to the latter pile. The temptation is too great to misrepresent truth by omission and commission which the Pilot seems to have done with their response.
It's a tough question for a lot of reasons. It's true we have many solid celibate priests with a past history of same-sex attraction whom I would more accurately describe as asexual. In our respect and love for them and the Church, its a disservice to try to strike the right chord in a handful of sentences.
The readers digest is, the Church looks at homosexual priests already ordained and admission to the priesthood very differently.
Fr. Doyle seems to take the position that Pope Francis initiated a policy of treating homosexuality as an equal to heterosexuality when admitting candidates to the priesthood so long as the candidate agrees to be celibate.
The church always distinguishes, of course, between a homosexual orientation, which is not considered sinful, and homosexual acts, which are. A priest -- whether gay or straight -- is pledged to be celibate.
This is not an honest assessment of candidacy to the priesthood or how the Church understands the incompatibility of homosexual attraction and the all-male priesthood.
I'm baffled by something else he said:
Most social scientists who have studied the issue believe that the percentage of homosexuals within the Catholic clergy is somewhat higher than among American males generally, since priests are already a self-selected group who have chosen not to marry.
What does this even mean?
Social scientists think celibacy causes homosexuality?
Whatever it means, it shows a profound misunderstanding of the purpose and powerful spiritual power of celibacy.
4 comments:
After reading just a couple of "answers" by Fr. Doyle, I wouldn't put much stock in anything he has to say.
I asked a priest friend who was in a position to know how many gay priests there were in the clergy and he said at the time--around 15 years ago---that he thought about 35% were gay.
The policy seems to be that if they are already "in" (i.e., ordained) or"get in" (i.e., through the seminary not only in their studies but also in discernment by and of them concerning their vocation and "sexual maturity"), we will let them stay as long as what they "do" is clandestine and consensual. Otherwise, if what they do seems to be a "passing fancy," we will let them in to study (and be studied) for the priesthood as well as to let them "straighten out" their situation.
Anon, who could deny what you say? It's true. In charity I won't name names, but priests have gone on for decades in clandestine homosexual relationships.
They are incapable of teaching what they are doing results in the loss of salvation. Some took the road of silence. Most dragged generations into their self destructive rabbithole.
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