By James Martin
America
January 15, 2009
http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&id=DCAAE59F-1438-5036-4F027691DBBB975B
 |
The USCCB has posted, apparently without fanfare, the Vatican's final report from the Apostolic Visitation of seminaries and houses of formation for religious orders, from 2006. The visitation received widespread interest, coming as it did after the sexual abuse crisis, and in response to Vatican concerns over the admission of gay men into seminaries and religious orders, and following the publication, in 2005, of the Vatican document barring men with "deep-seated" homosexual tendencies from the priesthood. The full text, in pdf form is here.
A notable comment is this: "The Apostolic Visit was obliged to point out the difficulties, in the area of morality, that some seminaries have suffered in past decades. Usually, but not exclusively, this meant homosexual behavior. Nevertheless, in almost all the institutes where such problems existed, at least in the diocesan seminaries, the appointment of better superiors...has ensured that such difficulties have been overcome. Of course, here and there some case or another of immorality--again, usually homosexual behavior--continues to show up. However, in the main, the superiors now deal with these issues promptly and appropriately. Nevertheless, there are some places--usually centers of formation for religious--where ambiguity vis-a-vis homosexuality persists."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.