Roman Catholic Church takes extreme action to prevent further molestations

LAURENSHARKEY LJS725@CABRINI EDU STAFFWRITER

Achurch official in Rome said a new Vatican rule will ban homosexuals, even those who are celibate, from becoming Roman Catholic priests.

Pope Benedict XVI claims that, “There was a need to ‘purify’the church after the deeply damaging sex scandals of the last several years.”

How does banning homosexuals from joining the priesthood cleanse the Roman Catholic Church? Wouldn’t it be more effective to remove the handful of priests guilty of pedophilic actions and behaviors from the priesthood? Here’s an idea, how about we prosecute the cardinals that knew about these pedophiles and allowed them to be shipped off to other parishes, thus increasing the number of victims?

This document has not yet been signed by Pope Benedict but is predicted to be released in the next six weeks and will apply to the church worldwide. In fact, Vatican investigators have been instructed to visit all 229 semi- naries in the United States to search for “evidence of homosexuality.” What does that mean? How about we check to see if there is evidence of their political party affiliation or evidence of tendencies that may result in the sexual assault of little boys? You don’tknow until it happens, and when the Church finally finds out they stage a cover up and endanger more people.

What is the problem with homosexual priests? Are you less Catholic? Can you not administer the sacraments as well as a heterosexual priest? Are we not all made in God’s image and likeness? Does Christianity not teach you to love and respect your brother as you would yourself? Isn’t the golden rule doing unto others as you would have them do unto you?

If you ask me, the Roman Catholic Church should be focusing on punishing those who have done wrong. The church is too focused on preventing more complications than dealing with the ones they already have.

Some Catholics feel that the test should be celibacy and “they predict resignations from the priesthood can worsen the church’s deep shortage of priests of clergy.” However, Church officials desire to bar celibate men who may have homosexual inclinations due to the specific temptations of seminaries.

What kind of message does it send to fellow Catholics when the Vatican’sreasoning behind barring homosexuals is temptation? Does the Vatican not trust their own priests because of their sexuality? What’s next? Call me crazy,but I thought that the only thing you needed to become a priest was your faith.

Ithink the Church’sgreatest challenge is conquering their fear of behaviors that they do not understand. Tradition is important, yet if you refuse to change with the times, then your institution is doomed to fail.

Homosexuals, celibate or not, should have an equal opportunity to participate in the promotion and practice of their faith. It is a great discouragement to me that an organized religion that promotes love and understanding, cannot manage to love and understand what appear to be the more neglected of God’s own children.

“I don’t think gay men should not be allowed into the priesthood as long as they aren’t sexually active. It’s no different for a heterosexual man becoming a priest.”

“It would be wrong to elect agay priest for the fact that due to all of the social constraints given to priests as it is, itmight be too tempting for a homosexual priest to not act on his desires.”