One of my dreams in life is to see **serious reconciliation among Christians**. This doesn't mean agreement in all matters. Protestants certainly are not about to demand celibacy by its clergy, for example, nor are they going accept such teachings of the RC Church as the sinless life of Mary ("all have sinned and fallen short" Romans 3:23). But this doesn't mean that we can't regard one another as fellow Christians and have a genuine respect for those who differ from us. Among Protestants, Methodists differ from Congregationalists, but in Canada and Australia and elsewhere the two have set aside such differences and united into one Church (e. g., United Church of Canada). Frankly, I don't believe any of us knows that much in this vast universe of maybe a million or even a billion solar systems like our own. We are called upon to walk by faith and not by knowledge. Humility is important. This whole emphasis on "one true Church" alienates. If we believe our church is such, okay, but dogmatic boasting is unseemly. AZctually, I don't believe my Church is the "one true church". I believe that many roads can lead us to God. I know this offends most posters here, but so be it.
The RCC is a great institution. I attended the Papal Mass a year ago at Yankee Stadium and was much impressed by the vigor the Benedict XVI and the organizational talent that went into the Mass. I admire the work of the RCC in such areas as health, education and helping the poor. **But it has a hangup - well, some parts of it do - when it ****comes to sex.** Sex is a God-given impulse and blessing. And it should be viewed in the context of love of the male for the female and vice versa. The celibacy requirement among the RCC clergy and religious is at best antiquated, at worse in conflict with God's design. I know a great Catholic priest. He and the principal of his parochial school fell in love after she lost her husband (she came to him for counseling). They married. I think that's great and congratulated him on his marriage. He became a leper among certain Catholics who castigated him sharply for breaking his vows.
One other thought - to change our direction a bit. I was discussing the sex problem in the RCC with a devout Catholic recently. She had an interesting take on the widespread abuse of altar boys and and other teenage males. She believes that the **Catholic clergy attracts an unusual ****high percentage of gays. **Why? One reason is that it serves as a good cover for their homosexuality. People don't wonder why they didn't marry. Another reason is that they hope that being a priest will help gain them respect as well as help deter or free them from the burden and dangers of their genetic same-sex attraction. A third reason: the pomp and ceremony of Catholicism, with its ornate vestments (dresses) and such, can have a special appeal to the feminine side of gay males.
**I wish Fr. Cutie happiness**, and if he marries may be and his wife enjoy marital bliss. He's human like the rest of us. A good marriage is a wonderful thing. As a widower myself, I know, and I miss it very much. In any case, I suggest that we don't judge him. Let God do that. As I recall we ask God to forgive us our sins as we forgive others.... That's one of the main virtues of our faith - its emphasis on forgiveness. Let Fr. Cutie work this out with God. We all make mistakes, and to be holier-than-thou is inappropriate and against the teachings and example of Christ. He spent a lot of time with sinners and was sharply assailed because of it.
