HT to Recta Ratio, which directed me to this story from today's World Net Daily:
The reason Catholic Church leadership includes homosexuals is because John Paul II refused to believe reports that potential clergy held that orientation – a mistake that will not be repeated by Pope Benedict XVI, says geopolitical expert Jack Wheeler.
In a column on his intelligence website, To the Point, Wheeler explains that a Vatican source disclosed to him why John Paul discounted the charge of homosexuality.
"Whenever Vatican investigators brought the results of their vetting process regarding an individual's candidacy for bishop, cardinal or other office, and they revealed he was a homosexual, John Paul II would refuse to believe it," he writes.
"He did so because accusing someone of homosexuality was a standard practice of the Communist government in his native Poland regarding anyone it regarded as an enemy of the state. From his ordination as a Catholic priest in 1946 to elevation to Archbishop of Krakow in 1963 and Cardinal in 1967, the then Karol Wojtyla witnessed this personal destruction repeatedly. So traumatized, he summarily dismissed such accusations as pope, and would approve the elevation of anyone so accused. "
That would certainly explain a lot.
I must respectfully dissent from your position.
We all have our particular, individualized crosses that we must bear. Each of us is tempted by some sins more than others. And I do not think that a priest should be judged by which sins he is more tempted to commit than others, especially if the actual temptation is being overcome and the sin has not been committed.
As long as the priest remains celibate and is faithful and committed to the true teachings of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, what does it matter what particular cross he must bear? Put it this way: some of us are tempted by Brad Pitt, others by Jennifer Aniston. I don't want my priest telling me that he finds either of them "hot". There's just no good reason for it ever to come up in the course of a homily or the sacrament of reconciliation. Or even if I took the priest out for lunch. It doesn't matter to me which, when his head hits the pillow at night, which one he sees in his dreams.
On the other hand, though, rather than Brad or Jen, if the one he's seeing in his dreams is Angelina Jolie, well, that's downright scary ... and that may be a reason to exclude someone from the priesthood.
My thoughts here: Does the Catholic Church need "de-homosexualizing"?
Posted by: retrofuturistic | Wednesday, May 04, 2005 at 12:20 AM