Sex abuse requires rethinking of mandatory celibacy

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Figures the National Catholic Distorter would print something like this. That paper is a fount of idiocy.
 
The article was penned by theologian Hans Kung, one of the golden calves of heretical Catholics. No further reading beyond the author’s name was required to know in which direction the article would take the reader.
 
Hans Kung has several agendas…this one regarding compulsory celibacy has been a hobby-horse of his for decades - he just thinks that the abuse cases will help his argument along. However, as I said on another thread, Kung and others are looking at the issue from the wrong angle. What I mean by this is, Fr Kung implies that celibacy is the cause of paedophile behaviour - that is to say that priests are turned into paedophiles because of the celibacy rule. The reality is not that priests became paedophiles, but that paedophiles became priests. Why did paedophiles become priests? Because paedophiles are deceptive and will do what they can to ensure that they will have unrestricted access to children - unfortunately, the priesthood has been seen as one such situation. Indeed, if celibacy was the issue, wouldn’t it be a great comfort for us all - no father, mother or married person would ever have sexually abused a child. The reality, as we know is far from comforting - it is horrifying.
Compulsory celibacy is the principal reason for today’s catastrophic shortage of priests
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  • says Fr Kung. The facts don’t agree with him though. Worldwide there is no shortage of priests - the number of ordinations increases year on year. Some seminaries have waiting lists of thousands of men. Perhaps Fr Kung is looking back on his life and doesn’t think that he was cut out to live celibately or that it has enriched his life - in which case, he may be just regarded as a bitter old man: he is clearly not interested in what the facts and statistics are saying about the Catholic priesthood.
There is much more that is wrong with Fr Kung’s article and views, but as gardienbleu said, it is barely worth reading beyond the author’s name, so don’t read too much into it!
 
No why? Why should the church submit to evil? The church will not change the discipline just because of a couple of bad apples.
 
If the people who commited these sins were truly celibate, they wouldn’t commit sexual abuse. :banghead:

The problem isn’t celibacy! The problem is they weren’t celibate.
 
There is a tiny nugget of truth buried in the distortions and self serving agenda of the article. The seminary visitation a few years back actually saw something similar. Seminaries must be very careful to make sure that those who feel called to priesthood aren’t attracted BY the requirement to celibacy. Celibacy isn’t an escape from having to deal with sexuality. Anybody looking at it that way is going to be a problem some day.

Celibacy is only an asset to the priesthood if the priest sees it as a sacrifice he is willing to make for the sake of Christ. If it is seen as a relief, watch out.
 
If I paid for the sins of these priests with my blood out of my love for the Church, would these detractors begin to understand? That it is not the fault of the Church, it is the fault of sin, and individuals who choose it.
 
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