Allegation that 30 percent of all Catholic priests are homosexual

[fix]

BillP:

Fair enough. Since no one of goodwill can possibly be in favor of ordaining the mentally ill, your definition of SSA as a mental illness kind of renders further discussion pointless.

Nor do I feel suffciently grounded in psychology and psychiatry to argue the merits of that proposition.

We’ll simply have to agree to disagree I suppose

By the way. OSA = Opposite sex Attraction

The term mental illness does not mean some may not be cured.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

A.W. Richard Sipe is uniquely qualified to provide insight into sexuality and the clergy. An ordained Roman Catholic priest, Sipe is now retired from active ministry. He has interviewed more than 1,500 persons - priests and others with intimate knowledge of priests - about the celibate and sexual behaviors of priests. ****Sipe has documented his findings in books and in numerous articles and lectures.

From
richardsipe.com/sipe_report.htm

1. A separate problem within the Catholic priesthood is the issue of homosexuality, particularly in light of the Church s condemnation of homosexual practice. Knowledgeable observers, including authorities within the Church, estimate that 40-50% of all Catholic priests have a homosexual orientation and that a majority of these are sexually active. From my studies, I estimate that only 30% of Catholic priests have a homosexual orientation and that only half of these are sexually active. See Lothstein, 34 Catholic Law Rev. 89 (1994) .

 

[crusader4life]

cough! When the homosexual population only makes up 3-5% of the general (US) population…how can that be possible? How many thousands and thousands of priests are there? It is just impossible for that number to work! I don’t know where but I’ve read not even a full 1% of the priestly population is considered homosexual. Did your daughter ever ask what kind of statistical sampling this father did? (He could have interviewed ten priests and three could have been homosexual…or either that he could have might as well interviewed several “out of the line” priests and come up with the same number…Who knows!)

That 3-5% number I got out of the book Male and Female He Made Them (Pg. 12). And the info in this book is backed up.

 

[crusader4life]

"
…Knowledgeable observers, including authorities within the Church, estimate that 40-50% of all Catholic priests have a homosexual orientation and that a majority of these are sexually active."

What a statement! I need to make a comment about this!

I want to point out to everyone to notice how broad this is…anyone could be a knowledgeable observer. And from this sentence it seems to me that these “observers” made this “estimate” of 40-50%. …I find this statement hard to believe because of the vaugness and the lack of evidence.

From what I’ve “observed” and from all the priests I’ve met …so far 100% of them are NOT homosexual…If the number was truly 30% I would have met at least one by now.

It’s sad how twisted things get and how some people take in any information and call it truth without seeing for themselves if it’s true or not.

 

[Topher]

Deo Volente:

Grace & Peace!

At the risk of sounding controversial, I’m surprised that the projected number is that low. When one considers that the church teaches that gay men are called to celibacy, as are priests, I would not doubt that a large number of gay catholic men wishing to remain faithful to the magesterium would seriously consider the priesthood–it is as if they were preselected for it.

Regardless, though, I agree with those above who wrote that the sexual orientation of a priest is immaterial to his duties. It may not be immaterial to him (he may struggle, regardless of his urges, and his struggle can be offered to Christ), but it has nothing to do with his office. It is only of import to those who misguidedly believe that homosexual people are, because of their orientation, more disposed to vice than their heterosexual counterparts. Thankfully, though, human nature is not more fallen in gay people than in straight.

–Mark

Deo Gratias!

The problem in your thinking seems to be that you view homosexuality and heterosexuality as equal. They are not. A heterosexual orientation is normal and healthy. Homosexuality, on the other hand is disoredered and unnatural, both a moral and psychological disorder. Since it is a moral disorder, it does make a person more prone to vice and thus, makes living the Catholic life much more difficult. Furthermore, there is a much higher percentage of homosexual men than heterosexual men that struggle narcisism, fetishism, compulsive masturbation, pornography addiction, depression, obssessive compulsive disorders, and other nuerotic disorders that are not condusive to a priestly ministry. Furthermore, their is a much higher percentage of homosexual men who are attracted to adolescent and teenagers than heterosexual men are. Isn’t this the problem and scandal that has recently rocked the church?

 

[Fortiterinre]

Topher:

The problem in your thinking seems to be that you view homosexuality and heterosexuality as equal. They are not. A heterosexual orientation is normal and healthy. Homosexuality, on the other hand is disoredered and unnatural, both a moral and psychological disorder. Since it is a moral disorder, it does make a person more prone to vice and thus, makes living the Catholic life much more difficult. Furthermore, there is a much higher percentage of homosexual men than heterosexual men that struggle narcisism, fetishism, compulsive masturbation, pornography addiction, depression, obssessive compulsive disorders, and other nuerotic disorders that are not condusive to a priestly ministry. Furthermore, their is a much higher percentage of homosexual men who are attracted to adolescent and teenagers than heterosexual men are. Isn’t this the problem and scandal that has recently rocked the church?

The problem in your thinking is that you view homosexuality as a thing in itself, and it is not. Sexuality is “ordered” to marriage and family and “disordered” when it leads anywhere else. “Disorder” in this sense is a philosophical term. You are allowed to believe in homosexuality as a thing in itself and even as a moral and psychological disorder, but the Catholic Church does not actually teach this or require that anyone share your views. People are attracted to all kinds of things, and if they take away from marriage and family they are bad, but retro-psychology is not the doctrine you make it out to be. The scandal rocking the church is the fact that virtually every diocese is drowning in this stuff, and that apparently 3/4 of the rectories in L.A. apparently had the privilege of hosting a child molester. Obsessing about how crazy homosexuals supposedly are is a bit off the point.