www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Pope Allows Gays To Be Priest

FYI, the National Catholic Reporter is reporting that, In other words, nothing is to be changed.

Here is the complete story:
No ban on gays expected [nationalcatholicreporter.org]

I had great hopes for Pope Benedict.

Seems like a prudent and well thought out policy to me. Every prospective preist is an individual and the dicerment process should treat them as such.
The one thing I find puzzling is all the hand-wringing over the 6-8 years a seminarian will be in "an all male environment" while not addresing monastic life. After all when soemone enters seminary (like any other school)the hope is that they will complete thier studies, graduate, and move on.
Monasticism is built on the premise that the candiate will stay.

Spiffing...now can we end the speculation on this topic until November when it is officially released?

Gaudior, who thinks enough has been said on the subject

Gaudior,

I am not the only one "speculating" Raymond Arroyo is reporting the same story.
VATICAN TO LEAVE ROOM FOR GAY SEMINARIANS? [ewtn.com]

If I had to go to Vegas and bet; well I would bet this Pope is same as the old Pope.

The Church is in one of its deepest crisis and its going down hill faster and faster.

And just perhaps if everyone concentrated on theosis, and not on what is wrong with everyone else, the Church might get a lot stronger.

We all pick up stones, when we should be picking up mirrors.

Gaudior, who does mean EVERYONE, not just ByzCath members

Gaudior,

I agree. Enough has been said on this topic. We would do well to wait now until the paper is made public rather than waste time speculating or despairing over something we haven't even read.

Jason a sinner

It is more prudent to wait for the official document or its release before we speculate on the contents of the "Instruction."

Three "sources" have reported conflicting reports thus far.

Because of its far reaching implications, the Pope must be weighing in on it heavily and the opportune time to issue such an "Instruction" could be AFTER the world Synod of Bishops, when the pros and cons have been gleaned, as Gaudior surmised.

Ray's teaser: "Pope Allows Gays To Be Priest" is inaccurate as it cannot be confirmed.

EWTN's news story: "VATICAN TO LEAVE ROOM FOR GAY SEMINARIANS?" is respectable as it ends with a question mark.

Amado

These relentless threads on homsexuality or what ever fancy title you want to give it is becoming very taxing to many. Everyone is screaming and beating the drum that is the issue of all the ills of the priesthood of the Catholic Church. As one outside of the communion of the Catholic Church I would like to offer my insight.

Whether or not a priest is homo or hetrosexual should not be the issue. What should be the issue is that each Catholic priest is under a vow of celibacy. His sexuality should become a non-factor since he is pledged to God to remain chaste. The problem that should be addressed is not the issue of sexuality, but enforcing the dicipline and offering support to those may be waivering. Locking them up in a monstery is not the answer. All you do is have a monastery with a problem with celibacy. What you need to also have is a way that each diocese monitors possible problems before they get out of hand.

If a celibate clergy is going to continue as the norm in the Catholic Church, addressing issues of discipline and enforcement need to investigated.

I have been a priestmonk for over 15years, not counting seminary and formation. I chose to be celibate and not for issues of sexuality. I have developed a network of other clergy both monastic and married that I can talk with is there is a crisis point in my life. I spend regular time in retreat once or twice a year to get refocused, and my workload is quite demanding. After the amount of time I have put in this life, I can not even imagine a life outside of monasticism or the priesthood. It, the life that is has become me.

When this is constantly brought up and there at least three other threads dealing with this issue activiely on this forum, we are performing overkill and creating an obssession.

I would not be screaming because of the candidates, but I would be screaming what will the church do to support them in the call as a celibate, and help them adjust to the lives and demands of their ministry.

I too, along with many posters are tired of the situation being presented time and time again. As a Church the issue has to be examined and strict rules and guidelines put into place to support the community they serve, but to give an encouraging environment of support in case they may encounter the temptation of sin.

This I would be concerned about, and pray that when the instructions are published, these very issues are in them.I pray for peace to reign among us and that we be patient instead of speculative as they are workeed out and eventually published,


In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Moderator
:rolleyes: Who is tired on having to read more about homosexuality here than in most spiritual reading material I've read. :rolleyes:

New Report on Vatican Gay Priests Document Said to be Gay Lobby �Rumor Mill�
Catholic Insight publisher/editor says it is attempt to water down Vatican document


TORONTO, October 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) � A report widely circulated today from the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera claims the expected Vatican document on homosexuality and the priesthood says those who exhibit homosexual tendencies cannot be ordained unless they can show they have lived chastely for at least three years. This contradicts previous reports indicating the document would re-emphasize traditional norms against the ordination of even celibate men with homosexual tendencies.

According to the Italian daily, the upcoming Vatican document supposedly goes on to say that men who publicly show their homosexuality and those who reveal an attraction to the homosexual lifestyle and culture should also be excluded from the priesthood.

Father Alphonse de Valk, a Toronto Basilian order priest, historian, and publisher of Catholic Insight magazine told LifeSiteNews.com this latest report is �all a rumor mill.� He expanded, �the pro-homosexual lobby within the Catholic Church is participating in a rumor mill with the hope they can water down a document which rejects a homosexual condition as not suitable for the priesthood.�

De valk indicated the Corriere della Sera report did not appear to make sense since it would be a rejection of Church discipline on the issue since well before the latest 1961 Instruction that clearly stated homosexuals should be barred from the priesthood.

�It has always been the policy of the Church�, said de Valk, �that homosexuals should not be ordained. Not only since 1961. �Particular friendships� was something that was abhorred in all the spiritual direction books of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. They called it �particular friendships� by which they meant homosexual. It was to be warned against.�

Fr de Valk has followed the homosexual issue for many years, has written numerous articles on it and sounded the alarm over 20 years ago about the advancement of a homosexual agenda within the Church and in general society.

I am going to be exercising my perogative as moderator and am closing this thread.

I tried in the above post to have the issue defocused on, and had other posters ask that comments on the issue be postponed until anything official is out. Apparently it seems that some are "one issue" regarding the faith and church and it seem that is all they can focus on. If the shoe fits wear it, if not let it fly by.

The amount of threads regarding this issue is absurd. Nothing is being accomplished by constantly harping on this matter other than driving people to turn away from the issue, and the Byzantine Forum. I have received a volume of PM and several complaints regarding the constant posting of this issue in the past couple of days. I have to agree with most, ENOUGH ALREADY!

Regarding the issue in the initial post, wait for the outcome of the synod right now meeting, and the final documents. Then it can be discussed.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Moderator