Sometimes it's a 3 post kind of day. Lunch time reading led to a Washington Post article about the Vatican's policy on gay priests & seminarians. It included this quote from Timothy Radcliff which sums up my feelings about this:
The Rev. Timothy Radcliff, former superior of the Dominican order, wrote in the British Catholic weekly the Tablet that the phrase "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" could be interpreted as concerning men with a "permanent homosexual orientation."
"But this cannot be correct since, as I have said, there are many excellent priests who are gay and who clearly have a vocation from God."
"Having worked with bishops and priests, diocesan and religious, all over the world, I have no doubt that God does call homosexuals to the priesthood, and they are among the most dedicated and impressive priests I have met," he wrote.
Yup. Amen, Brother.
I know that all of this hullabaloo cannot be easy for the gay priests I know (and those I don't know). I hope and pray they can hang in there as best they can, because I know the church needs them and all they bring. Yes they are gay. And yes they are celibate. And yes, they are among the most dedicated and impressive priests I've been honored to know.
4 comments:
Just once in all this I wish someone would ask Benedict if he's heterosexual. When he professes that yes, of course he is, but he has devoted his life to God and so is celibate, I'd like to see him explain how that's different from gay priests who are also committed to their vows.
I do not object to gay priests, as my comments at De Civitate Dei might lead some to believe. Celibacy makes sexual orientation a moot point. What I do object to is gay activity. I don't know whether seminarians are allowed to date, if so, I suppose that's unfair to gay seminarians. But if dating is at most intimate conversations, then that ought to be okay. If it then progress into physical contact, then it think that's going too far. In any case there ought to be zero sexual activity for any priesthood candidate, because sex is a marital act.
As one priest said to us, religious life is a gender-specific vocation. If you have gay tendencies, you must exercise self-control and not be a source of sin and temptation to others.
See, Dominicans are the coolest! =) Especially Timothy.
Amen, Susan!!
Took a glance at De Civitate Dei and let's just say I won't be a regular reader there.
Hmmm... me neither Natty. But if it's a big church, it's an even bigger blogosphere.
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