'I’m gay and I’m a priest, period.’

[Abynissa]

'I’m gay and I’m a priest, period.’
WASHINGTON POST

God, what are you calling me to do here, prayed the priest. Come out, or stay in the closet ?

After 23 years in Chicago parishes, the question had pushed its way to the surface.

He weighed his options. He thought about his parishioners. Many, he knew, were accepting of gay people, even of same-sex marriage, but others — less so. He had grown up in a large Catholic family; he understood what people’s faith meant to them. He didn’t want to harm his flock, or the Catholic Church.

He wondered if he could be penalized in his job. And, in truth, he considered his status. He knew many Catholics had what he might call a romanticized view of the priesthood: Priests are supposed to be pure, almost above the world of sexuality, selfishly willing to give up creating a family of their own to serve God. This would mean falling from that pedestal…MORE:

How does one determine they are gay unlesss they know they have a sexual attraction toward males? If they have attraction toward males shouldn’t this condition disqualify them from entering into ministry since the all male environment would increase their temptation?

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Homosexual tendencies do disqualify men from the priesthood, but this rule is largely ignored so they are ordained anyway. This priest should never have become a priest in the first place, and he shouldn’t let many his parishioners be supportive of homosexual “marriage”.

 

[jaimeleglise]

Is being gay a problem for priests if they are chaste and advocate chastity?

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Is being gay a problem for priests if they are chaste and advocate chastity?

Yes, it is. They are surrounded by men throughout their formation and their ministry, so they will have a very difficult time remaining pure. It has been seen that homosexuals are largely responsible for the many sex abuse cases and many priests and even Bishops have died of AIDS and currently have HIV because they have found other homosexual men in the priesthood or outside of it. This, in addition to harming the priests themselves, is costing the Church a lot of money. They also have psychological problems that hinders their ability to guide their parishioners well.

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

Yes because the Priesthood is only for heterosexual men who are called to it by Christ.

Unlike heterosexual men who give up marriage. The homosexual priests give up nothing and are constantly tempted to commit homosexual acts with their fellow priests

 

[phil19034]

Is being gay a problem for priests if they are chaste and advocate chastity?

Yes and no. While it is theoretically possible for an Individual gay priest to overcome and be completely asexual, as a whole it’s not practical. For the record, hetrosexual priests have trouble too, but they are supposed to be able to rely on their fellow priests for fraternal love and support.

Being gay could have an effect on them based on today’s political environment, plus undermines that support network.

A priest who is highly attracted to women could have trouble in today’s sex filled society, but a gay priest has that issue plus today’s political environment & the urge to self identify as gay.

Additionally, a gay seminarian or priest is placed in a near occasion of sin, rooming with other males, etc. In Chaste male / female living environments, men are not roommates with women. So for a gay person to live in a chaste enviroment - away from near sin, he must live alone. With a few exceptions, this really isn’t practical for the seminarian or priest.

So in closing, a gay priest is not a good idea, especially in today’s climate of open homosexuality

 

[MartinJordan]

Why is it gay first and then Priest?

MJ

 

[seaton2005]

Yes, it is. They are surrounded by men throughout their formation and their ministry, so they will have a very difficult time remaining pure. It has been seen that homosexuals are largely responsible for the many sex abuse cases and many priests and even Bishops have died of AIDS and currently have HIV because they have found other homosexual men in the priesthood or outside of it. This, in addition to harming the priests themselves, is costing the Church a lot of money. They also have psychological problems that hinders their ability to guide their parishioners well.

I don’t believe you are correct here. That is not what the available data reveals. Remember, there is a difference in being gay and pedophilia. I believe many of those priest offenders that were reported were said to be pedophiles. Moreover, because of the way the church covered up these crimes there is limited data/information to examine. With that said, homosexuality does not cause pedophilia.

 

[ssa_fellow]

Homosexual tendencies do disqualify men from the priesthood, but this rule is largely ignored so they are ordained anyway. This priest should never have become a priest in the first place, and he shouldn’t let many his parishioners be supportive of homosexual “marriage”.

That’s simply not true. Men can become priests even if they have homosexual tendencies, so long as they are not “deep-seated”. And “deep-seated” has often been described to me as basically:

1. Having lived an actively gay lifestyle.
2. Supporting the “gay agenda” or associating yourself with the gay movement.

If persons with same-sex attraction haven’t done that, then they are just as “qualified” to attend seminary as any other man. Being that no men are qualified. Jesus qualifies the called, he does not call the qualified.

Now I’m going to quote the words of the Vatican, which you contradict. I’ll say it again: your words contradict Church teaching.
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html
Vatican Document:

In the light of such teaching, this Dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question[9], cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called “gay culture”[10].

Different, however, would be the case in which one were dealing with homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem - for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded. Nevertheless, such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to the diaconate.

 

[AKDee]

Provided he is meeting the requirement for celibacy, I have no problem with it. I doubt it’s any more of a temptation for a gay priest - even being around other men all the time- then it is for a straight priest who frequently has to interact with women. Temptations are there. It’s what we do with them that matters.

 

[roseofshannon]

I don’t believe you are correct here. That is not what the available data reveals. Remember, there is a difference in being gay and pedophilia. I believe many of those priest offenders that were reported were said to be pedophiles. Moreover, because of the way the church covered up these crimes there is limited data/information to examine. With that said, homosexuality does not cause pedophilia.

While I’m not at leisure to find the data at present, I believe the vast majority of the sex abuse cases were pederasty.

 

[phil19034]

Provided he is meeting the requirement for celibacy, I have no problem with it. I doubt it’s any more of a temptation for a gay priest - even being around other men all the time- then it is for a straight priest who frequently has to interact with women. Temptations are there. It’s what we do with them that matters.

The rooming with men and the bonding that priest do with eachother is where the issue comes in for an orthodox and chaste gay priest.

Straight priests do not live in a house with single women or nuns.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

I don’t believe you are correct here. That is not what the available data reveals. Remember, there is a difference in being gay and pedophilia. I believe many of those priest offenders that were reported were said to be pedophiles. Moreover, because of the way the church covered up these crimes there is limited data/information to examine. With that said, homosexuality does not cause pedophilia.

A pedophile would go after children at or below the age of 11, but that is not the case here. The majority of victims were male adolescents between the age of 11 and 17. Here is an article concerning this.

 

[AKDee]

The rooming with men and the bonding that priest do with eachother is where the issue comes in for an orthodox and chaste gay priest.

Straight priests do not live in a house with single women or nuns.

I’ve had male roommates- JUST roommates- and didn’t feel a desire to be wanton with them (I’m a woman). Proximity with the gender you find attractive doesn’t necessarily mean sin will follow. You can set your mind to not think that way, the same as a heterosexual person might make the decision to never find a married person attractive - or when they themselves marry to simply not look at the opposite sex that way. There’s a significant amount of choice here- you can choose to let your body control you, or you can control your body. I don’t see much difference between what a straight priest would go through vs what a gay priest would go through- both are expected to put a clamp on their sexual desires.

 

[ssa_fellow]

The rooming with men and the bonding that priest do with each other is where the issue comes in for an orthodox and chaste gay priest.

Straight priests do not live in a house with single women or nuns.

I have same-attractions, and have lived with other guys in college. I currently have a roommate. And, I’m sure that I’ve never treated them any differently than a straight roommate would have. Like, what kind of horror story are you envisioning? I’ve never made any advances on anyone, or made anyone I’ve lived with uncomfortable in any way.

If this is the only underlying argument, its a pretty weak one.

EDIT: Just saw AKDee’s post. Completely agree.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

That’s simply not true. Men can become priests even if they have homosexual tendencies, so long as they are not “deep-seated”. And “deep-seated” has often been described to me as basically:

1. Having lived an actively gay lifestyle.
2. Supporting the “gay agenda” or associating yourself with the gay movement.

If persons with same-sex attraction haven’t done that, then they are just as “qualified” to attend seminary as any other man. Being that no men are qualified. Jesus qualifies the called, he does not call the qualified.

Now I’m going to quote the words of the Vatican, which you contradict. I’ll say it again: your words contradict Church teaching.
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

The document you quoted makes clear what deep seated tendencies mean. If the homosexual tendencies were temporary or have been cured three years before entering the seminary, they are not considered deep seated since they are gone by the time the man enters seminary. The Church doesn’t want homosexual priests, but it is fine with having men that had homosexual tendencies in the past but have been cured of them.

 

[ClaireS]

A chaste celibate priest is a good example and encouragement to single Catholics.A recovering alcoholic priest has much to offer in the confessional to those addicted to sinful behaviors. In the same way isn’t a chaste homosexual priest a wonderful witness that with God’s grace chastity is possible for gay men.

At any rate, if a man is already a priest he is a priest forever. He deserves our support and respect.

To the person who said a gay man gives up nothing when he becomes a priest. You should consider that the homosexual man or woman is called by God to give up sexual intimacy and fulfillment, this is what the church teaches. I greatly admire those who carry this cross.

Now about coming out: unless you are a close friend I don’t want to know about what turns you on. Why be proud of being gay? Or being straight? It is not an achievement. It’s a big part of who we are but not all of who we are. And as Christians we are to do all that we do to the glory of God.

Whether homosexual men should be ordained, I leave that to the Holy Spirit.

 

[zamyrabyrd]

A pedophile would go after children at or below the age of 11, but that is not the case here. The majority of victims were male adolescents between the age of 11 and 17. Here is an article concerning this.

I read your link which is similar to a cross-reference in this blog.
catholic.com/blog/karl-keating/myth-buster

In fact, it shocked me to learn from both articles that:

“The National Review Board, recruiting a research team from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, released its initial report in 2004. The results were conclusive: This was not a “pedophile” scandal, but a homosexual scandal. Eighty percent of the alleged victims were male, and nearly 90 percent were post-pubescent, with “only a small percentage of priests receiving allegations of abusing young children.” An updated report, issued in 2011, revealed similar numbers: 81 percent of sex abuse victims were boys, and 78 percent were post-pubescent.”
taken from: churchmilitant.com/news/article/priestly-sex-abuse-would-not-have-happened-without-homosexuals

This makes a lot of sense considering the disproportionate percentage of molestation in the general population coming from pederasty. If the population of homosexuals is 2%, then the rate of abuse should be as in the rest of society, but it far higher.

As for the article about the “I’m gay and a priest, period” I read that too and was also shocked. First of all, as a Catholic, I don’t want to know about it. There are certain things better kept to oneself or spiritual adviser. Declaring this openly would support the argument for gayness as being an identity. One priest in the article is quoted as saying: “God made me this way.” So any kid in the parish straddling the fence, might just give in, instead of questioning a tendency. Coming out this way is really bad example.

I really scratch my head wondering how we slipped so far down the primrose path as a society when reading goofy rationalizations like this:

*"Chicago priest doesn’t disregard the church’s teaching on sexuality, but he tries to emphasize the church’s teaching that sexuality is an expression of the divine and encourages people to pray and discern their own place. His place, he says, is that of a man who didn’t understand he was gay when he entered the priesthood and now views his sexuality as a gift to his ministry.

“There’s a level of witnessing here that’s important for me to do. The Christian faith has a lot to say about the underdog, about the marginalized or the leper, the blind, the lame, the ostracized woman prostitute, widow, the little one,” he said.

“I’d like to be one of those priests, who, with great respect for the church’s teaching, can say: I’m a human being. I’m a son — one of six — I’m gay and I’m a priest, period.”

Prayer has led him to believe this article is part of that witness. He has decided he wants to be known".*

What a joke! Please bring out “Hearts and Flowers” played on a violin. The homosexual community has tremendous clout and money. They must dominate the media because we hear about them every flaming day. The underdog, yeah, right!

I am old enough with personal experience to know intimately how destructive this whole movement is. It galls me to no end that it has invaded the sanctuary of the Christian Church. Someone mentioned here about me-ness, and that is exactly its appeal, glomming onto what people have been used to as privileged consumers rather than doers.

 

[GEddie]

Why is it gay first and then Priest?

MJ

Two possibilities:

1. They “discovered they were gay” prior to formation or to ordination, not surprising given the long lead-time into the priesthood, although it **should **have raised a red-flag;
2. The sexual self-identification is primary in the mind and the holy vocation is secondary. This is where the real difficulty resides.

ICXC NIKA

 

[RedFox0456]

I really don’t know how I feel about the article. On one hand, it’s not a bad thing to let people know you can be gay and not reject your faith or doctrine. On the other hand, the phrasing is certainly ambiguous enough that people might be getting a different message - that sexuality and person feelings supersede the Magesterium.