UNITED STATES
Chicago Sun-Times
September 25, 2005
More than 3-1/2 years ago, at the height of the pedophile priest scandal, Pope John Paul II's spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, scapegoated homosexuals. "People with these inclinations," he said, "cannot be in this field." This at a time when the Vatican was otherwise mum on a situation tearing at the fabric of Catholicism around the world.
Much has happened since then. Priests found guilty of molesting young boys have been sent to jail. Archdioceses in which sex abuse has been covered up have been held liable financially. The Vatican has expressed sympathy for the victims and vowed to attack the problem. But once again, with Pope Benedict XVI now at the helm, the gay clergy is being unfairly targeted. It is reported that Rome soon will issue a long-rumored "instruction" barring, or strongly discouraging, gays from entering the priesthood. And in early October, a series of "apostolic visitations" will be made to investigate, among other things, the extent of homosexuality in American seminaries. Gay priests fear a witch hunt to thin their ranks or get rid of them altogether, however committed to celibacy they are.
Clearly, the Vatican feels it needs to affirm its doctrine on homosexuality at a time when issues like gay marriage are creating deep divisions. Last year, in churches including Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, gay activists who demonstrated their opposition to the doctrine by wearing red sashes were denied communion. Given that a large percentage of the pedophiles' victims have been young males, there is reason to be concerned about the role played by homosexuality in the abuses. But no link has been established between homosexuality and pedophilia -- which, in fact, is more often committed by heterosexuals, against boys. The requirement of celibacy may be a greater factor, as the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese recognized in asking its readers whether it should continue to be "a normative condition" for priests.