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In 2006 The Linacre Institute published a sadly ignored report into the clergy sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church that exposed the wider problem of sexual licentiousness among segments of the ordained clergy. The Linacre Institute report has the title, ‘After Asceticism: Sex, Prayer and Deviant Priests’. Before examining this report Protect the Pope wants to emphasise that there are many good and faithful priests who conscientiously serve the People of God as true shepherds. However, for some reason a minority of homosexual priests have considerable influence and power, leading them to be referred to by others as the ‘gay mafia’. Just to be clear the Linacre Institute report is. It was happening in the past. The following excerpt is from the chapter, A Collapse of Chastity: ‘Another significant observation by the National Review Board points to the development of the gay subculture in some places, not before the onset of the pederasty increase, but at its peak: ”In the 1970′s and 1980′s, in particular, there developed at certain seminaries a “gay subculture”, and at these seminaries, according to several witnesses, homosexual liaisons occured among students or between students and teachers.
Such subcultures existed or exist in certain diocese or orders as well. The Board believes that the failure to take disciplinary action against such conduct contributed to an atmosphere in which sexual abuse of adolescent boys by priests was more likely’. the sexual corruption that entered into seminary training in the 1960′s and ’70′s did not come before the increase in sexual permissiveness that had taken hold of segments of ordained clergy, but rather resulted from men, already ordained as priests, bringing their attitude and lifestyle recently acquired back into the seminaries as teachers during a period of significant confusion in the Church.
This sexual licentiousness among segments of the ordained clergy occurred concurrently with a rising crisis of confidence among all clergyThe atmosphere of disciplinary and doctrinal defiance common to the time 60's & 70's would have encouraged confusion among the rank and file priests, and in the deviant, the sexual behaviour afoot; these conditions remain in many places today but they do not manifest themselves in the form of sexual abuse of minors. As noted above, abuse reporting patterns show that most of the abusive priests completed their seminary years years before sexually violating the youth under their care. Hence, the homosexual trait, if any, that the man brought with him into the seminary only manifested itself in abuse somewhat later, and subsequent to a period of disciplinary collapse. The lesson to be drawn from this is that it is important to address the capacity for complete and life-long chastity in the seminary candidate, (an issue that is currently emphasized in an Instruction by the Vatican) but there is the additional and more ominous possibility that confronts us.
Namely, that some young men who entered the seminary with little or no inclination toward immoral sexual behaviour, were sexually conditioned after they entered the seminary or after they entered parish life, or after they entered treatment for some other problem, such as alcoholism. Where did these homosexual priests come from? It is thought that the source of a homosexual relation is a dysfunction in the relationship between a child and the parent of same sex. A boy who craves intimacy with his father, but is denied it, may come to disidentify with the male gender (“I’m not like other men”) and may seek same-sex intimacy elsewhere. If he does this during adolescence and into adulthood, he is likely to sexualise his unmet childhood need. Another explanation is that a man who becomes a priest acquires duties in relation to divine worship which he did not have before.
If he does not do them, if he does not honour God and give Him thanks as a priest ought to do, then his mind will be darkened and his arguments will become futile. And so, because he exchanges God’s truth for a lie and serves the creature in the place of the Creator, God gives him over to degrading passions. And so he does shameful things with other men and receives in his own body the due penalty for his perversion. (Romans chapter 1). Amazon sell this book for £80 upwards. If this book could have averted the bulk of that abuse, and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church really want us to believe they are serious in safeguarding all, this book should be made available free on the internet for all to see! I was shocked at the attitude of many towards Pope Francis earlier this year.
However, I’m wondering now how can a pope who decries clericalism, give power to the likes of Archbishop Nichols whose track record on sex education in Birmingham is diabolical, whose track record on ‘gay’ Masses in Westminster is diabolical, a cleric who is the epitome of clericalism and careerism in everything he does, and not expect to be severely derided for utter hypocrisy. It is frankly sickening to hear all this stuff from the pope while we see him compromising the faith by the appointments he is making, and the faithful clergy he is putting down. Chastity is the first challenge for any young man entering the priesthood.
He must decide during the six years training whether he is close enough to Jesus to follow him and reject the temptations he is subject to like every other young man. If he goes through seminary still sinning in thought it will be a sure sign that he has not made that journey to Jesus. It is not a question of maturity or intelligence it is a question of holiness, living with Jesus every moment of his day. Putting it another way it is a constant battle with Satan. Unfortunately we forgot to tackle this question in the seminaries from the 40`s onwards and with the relaxed discipline of the seventies the whole thing became a nightmare. Linking homosexuality to inevitable pederasty is not only ignorant but homophobic.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church not only refers to the sensitivity with which such people should be treated but also recognises such inclinations as a Cross. This website, ‘Protect the Pope’, while stating the Church’s position on faith and morals, has, no less, a duty to be kind. Gay priests come originally from the priesthood of the faithful.
We must not forget that. If gay priests don’t flaunt their preferences and strive to live according to the Church’s teaching, despite the many difficulties that present themselves, why set up a witch hunt? We want good priests and priests to pursue faithfulness in all their choices, consistent with their search to grow in holiness, but, ultimately, a vocation is a mystery and vocations comes alone from God. The instruction RELIGIOSORUM INSTITUTIO, Instruction on the Careful Selection And Training Of Candidates For The States Of Perfection And Sacred Orders issued on February 2, 1961 states “Advantage to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers.” It does not discriminate between active or chaste homosexuals – it just says anyone afflicted with the tendency. Fr Iggy These numbers (see link below) are probably exaggerated, but who knows. They come from sources who’ve got an axe to grind. Anecdotally, it was always obvious to me at school in the 1970s, and being taught by an order of priests, that there seemed to be a significant minority of priests who were effeminate/gay.
Another source is “Good Bye Good Men”, by Michael Rose, who describes the slow corruption of the seminaries in the 1970s/80s in America. It’s got a chapter, if I remember rightly, on the “Lavender mafia”. Again some people will call it partisan, but partisan the other way. “It was well known that in the Venerable English College Rome”.
This was the claim made in a notorious TV programme by a couple of former students at the VEC who were themselves homosexual. One of them was a priest who abandoned his vocation very soon after ordination to live with his friend. The couple who were seminarians in Rome between 1996 and 1999, claim that students were reprimanded by members of staff for calling each other by girls’ names. Priests I know who studied at the VEC state that they were unaware of similar inappropriate behaviour before the 1990′s. And as Peter says – fortunately this has come to an end.
Cozzens, The Changing Face of the Priesthood. A well researched book which shows that there is a larger percentage of homosexual men in the seminaries and priesthood than in the general population.” This book was published in the United States in 1999 – and so would have been based mainly on data in the USA that had been collected before this time. So – even if it was true then, EVEN if it was true then – you cannot assume that this data is still accurate now, nearly twenty years later. It is worth noting that The Linacre Institute that produced this report is based in the USA and the report concerns clergy working in the USA. The Linacre Institute does not have any connection with The Anscombe Bioethics Centre (based in Oxford, UK) which was originally known as The Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics (based in London UK).
Obviously there will be some similarities between priests in Europe and priests in the USA – but also some differences. It is also worth remembering that just as there are differences between Scotland and Italy – so too there will be differences between Michigan and Texas.
Fr Iggy, It is true that your comments do usually provoke a strong reaction among users of this site. But it is also true that you usually fail to respond to questions they put to you about your theological opinions. It would help us if you did enlighten us about these opinions. With regard to homosexual priests, I personally think that the real question is about chastity and whether priests and lay-people, heterosexual or homosexual, try to live by the teaching of the Church in this regard.
Many of us have the strong impression that groups within the Church, including priests, are now claiming that the Church has got this wrong and that genital sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage is not only morally licit but is in fact filled with God’s grace. If priests teach this and some act it out, then they are causing grave scandal with the Church because of the position they hold.
Perhaps you could comment on this? Absolutely John! This is not about demonising people of a homosexual inclination – it is about reminding us all, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual or any other sexual inclination or non-inclination, that we should try to control our desires of a carnal nature, for our own good, the common good, and above all in obedience to our maker. Priests of the Catholic Church should also, as well as reminding us of this at ‘reconciliation services’, be making time available to hear our confessions, reminding all that no matter how awful our sins, with true contrition and a willingness to try and mend our ways, we can be forgiven by God through the priest. If you were at our ‘pastoral area’ reconciliation service last night you would think there was no such thing as a sexual sin – certainly there was nothing on the list for us to contemplate! Hang on a minute.
I would imagine that having strong homosexual inclinations is a real cross to bear. Surely we are all subject to temptations to sexual sins. Think of those depictions of St Jerome and St Anthony being tempted by devils. Have we not all suffered the same?
For somebody who has these inclinations what should they do? Any kind of sexual fulfilment that is available to heterosexuals in marriage is probably not available. So what can they do? How can they lead a chaste life? Surely it is only through a rigorous devotion to being a holy person.
That may lead them to the priesthood and I think WUE is probably correct in thinking the proportion of those who suffer from that particular cross in the priesthood is higher than in the general population. I can think of one religious organisation where the response of others has been: “Oh they are unmarried so they must all have homosexual inclinations; that means they must be practising sodomists; that means they are into promoting paedophilia”.
The diocese has given credence to these accusations by suspending them from using their chapel without a scrap of evidence of any homosexual activity. If this is not homophobia I do not know what is.
It certainly contrasts with the Soho masses saga. Nicolas, I think you may have the wrong end of the stick – Bl. Pope John XXIII approved the 1961 instruction and ordered it to be promulgated. It clearly stated that “Advantage to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality.” It did not say that homosexuals could be ordained as long as they remain chaste, the ban was for ANYONE afflicted by this condition. This does not, of course, mean that people with same-sex attraction who live according to Church teaching cannot achieve a high degree of sanctity, but the Church has clearly stated here that this must be done in the lay state, not in the clerical/religious state. The Church is now suffering from the fact that that this instruction has been widely ignored.
When you have diocesan priests OPENLY linking to and liking things associated with the ‘gay’ subculture on their Facebook pages, you know there’s a problem (don’t ask me for names). The fact that they do this with complete impunity shows that the bishops cannot or will not do anything about it. As for your last paragraph, I’m not sure what you are referring to, so I will write guardedly. If the incident you refer to is the same as the one I am thinking of, then one of the people involved was publicly convicted for possession of child pornography, so maybe the diocese wasn’t in the wrong in this case. Although it certainly was (and is) regarding the Soho/Farm St Masses.
Pat: Just to reply to your first point. I take it that the word “Advantage” should really be “Advancement”. The 1961 instruction is dealing with the process from one stage to another. In the case I am talking about, which you have correctly identified and about which I will comment in the next day or two, no member is ever ordained a priest. A few do take vows but I think I am correct in saying that the majority do not. Also I would suggest that “afflicted with evil tendencies” means rather more than having a homosexual inclination. Reading the document as a whole it does admit of a gradual conversion to chastity and the requirement seems more to be that once someone has demonstrated his conversion to chastity i.e.
Been chaste, that is sufficient for those not being ordained or taking vows. I am sure that Nicolas is right now – and in his post of 12.54pm today. All Catholic priests not of the Eastern Rite are called to celibacy (unless there is a special dispensation granted by the Pope in the case of convert clergy. The Sexual Offences Bill of 1967 decriminalised homosexual activity in England. After this many people took the view that if something was not illegal, it was not immoral – and applied the same false logic to divorce and abortion.
Before the advent of the “Permissive Society” homosexuality was a taboo subject. There was no psychological profiling for candidates to the priesthood. If a seminarian suffered rom homosexual temptations, he would presumably have confessed this to his confessor. But the confessor’s lips were sealed. As Pat states Pope John XXIII’s 1961 instruction “ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality”.
Joad would have said “It all depends on what you mean”. In the past some sailors and servicemen may have suffered from these temptations – and then gone on to contract a happy marriage. Nicholas Bellord: I do wish more homosexuals who are practising Catholics would come out (as it were) into open forum and tell the truth about themselves. I so well remember feeling vastly awkward in my 20s. One felt (wrongly) to be so alone.
To be a Catholic and gay layman was difficult; and it almost certainly still is for some young Catholic people. In my view, it would be helpful if other gay Practising Catholics were open and straightforward on this blog.
I know very well I am not the only one. Being gay is a disability; and it might help other people if it were more openly addressed.
Further thoughts on Alcoholics Anonymous and EnCourage: Just as it is incompatible for a practising homosexual to become a Catholic priest so too it is incompatible for an practising alcoholic to become a Catholic priest. But one of the best priests that I know is a member of AA. He has been tested in the furnace and has come out pure gold. As Nicholas rightly says, we all face temptations of one kind or another. And we know that even Our Lord was tempted – but did not sin. As the letter to the Hebrews says of Him: “He had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2: 17-18).
CORRECTION Pat. Thank you for the correction and apologies for having previously given misleading information. I had assumed (wrongly) that an organisation describing itself as “evangelical” would follow Biblical teaching. There have been some recent changes in the titles of these organisations – which now helps avoiding confusing one organisation with another. Courage is a ministry of the Catholic Church in Britain and across the world. Its international website is Courage GB has a newsletter at which has contact details for the UK. Thank you for the correction and apologies for having previously given misleading information.
I had assumed (wrongly) that an organisation describing itself as “evangelical” would follow Biblical teaching. There have been some recent changes in the titles of these organisations – which now helps avoiding confusing one organisation with another. Courage is a ministry of the Catholic Church in Britain and across the world. Its international website is Courage GB has a newsletter at which has contact details for the UK.