User:Hanalone/Homosexual clergy in the Catholic Church

Information from the Original Articles
https://www.ourladyswarriors.org/articles/damian2.htm

The actual text from the Acts of the General Chapter of Diffinitors of the Order of Friars Preachers meeting from July 17-August 8, 1995 at Caleruega, Spain (the birthplace of St. Dominic) reads:"'Ö as a radical demand, the vow of chastity is equally binding on homosexuals and heterosexuals. Hence, no sexual orientation is a priori incompatible with the call to chastity and the fraternal life.' (emphasis added) [86]"Radcliffe concludes his segment on "sexual orientation" with words of compassion for his Dominican homosexual brethren, but he warns the emergence "of any subgroups within a community, based on sexual orientation, would be highly divisive," and "threaten the unity of the community," and "make it harder for the brethren to practice the chastity that he has vowed".

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2000/11/04/challenges-and-gifts-homosexual-priest

On the one hand, there are those who urge acceptance and compassion for priests who are homosexual, arguing that these priests have always had, and continue to have, much to contribute to the church. On the other hand are those who feel that since homosexuality is defined by church teaching as a strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil (The Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986) the presence of homosexual priests is at best an embarrassment, and at worst a trend that needs to be reversed.

But the word homosexual, again, is used as a description of sexual orientation, as a condition, not as an indication of whether a person is sexually active. Unless proven otherwise, there is no reason to believe that homosexual priests are any less likely to keep their promises of celibacy than heterosexual ones. This article will assume that homosexual priests take their promises of celibacy as seriously as their heterosexual counterparts do.

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

From the time of the Second Vatican Council until today, various Documents of the Magisterium, and especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church, have confirmed the teaching of the Church on homosexuality. The Catechism distinguishes between homosexual acts and homosexual tendencies. Regarding acts, it teaches that Sacred Scripture presents them as grave sins. The Tradition has constantly considered them as intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law.

Deep-seated homosexual tendencies, which are found in a number of men and women, are also objectively disordered and, for those same people, often constitute a trial. Such persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. They are called to fulfil God's will in their lives and to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter[8]. In the light of such teaching, this Dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question[9], cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called "gay culture"[10]. Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/excerpt-closet-vatican

Whether they are 'practising', 'homophile', 'initiates', 'unstraights', 'wordly', 'versatile', 'questioning', or simply 'in the closet', the world I am discovering, with its 50 shades of gay, is beyond comprehension. The intimate stories of these men who give an image of piety in public and lead a quite different life in private, so different from one another, present us with a complex intrigue to unravel. Never, perhaps, have the appearances of an institution been so deceptive; and equally deceptive are the pronouncements about celibacy and the vows of chastity that conceal a completely different reality.

For the article:
https://www.ourladyswarriors.org/articles/damian2.htm

Added under the "Religious Orders" Section:

As stated in the Acts of the General Chapter of Diffinitors of the Order of Friars Preachers meeting, the text read "Ö as a radical demand, the vow of chastity is equally binding on homosexuals and heterosexuals. Hence, no sexual orientation is a priori incompatible with the call to chastity and the fraternal life."

This series of meetings were conducted from July 17th to August 8th in 1995 in Caleruega, Spain. Furthermore, Radcliffe's ended his statement over sexual orientation by warning against divisiveness that can arise based on sexual orientation following the emergence of subgroups, such as homosexuals within the clergy. He states that these subgroups are a risk as they threaten unity and make it more difficult to practice chastity within Catholicism.

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2000/11/04/challenges-and-gifts-homosexual-priest

Added to "Opposition to the gay clergy" Section:

The controversy surrounding gay men in the Catholic Church is met by two viewpoints. There are those who encourage acceptance for priests who are homosexual, who argue that they contribute to the church and always will. On the other hand, there are those who believe that homosexuality is defined by the church as a "moral evil" and therefore homosexual priests should not be allowed. Another element to the controversy is the way people view the word 'homosexual". Homosexual describes a sexual orientation and is not an indication of if a person is sexually active or not. There is no proof that homosexual priests are more or less likely to keep their promises of celibacy than their heterosexual counterparts.

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

Added to "Implementation" Section:

The instructions from Vatican bodies on allowing homosexual men into priesthood have fluctuated over time, from the time of the Second Vatican Council until today. They differentiated homosexual acts and homosexual tendencies, stating that acts are grave sins but discrimination over tendencies should be avoided and rather accepted with respect. While this may be so, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, while respecting those who hold homosexual tendencies they can not be admitted to the seminary or to holy orders. In the 1960's, chaste gay men were allowed but by 2005, change in instruction exhibited by the Vatican exemplified new orders that banned gay men entirely.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/excerpt-closet-vatican

Added to "Inside the Vatican" Section:

He is not the only example of homosexuality within Catholic Church. Following numerous interviews and research Frédéric Martel published the book In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy. In the text the author states the claim that 4 in 5 Vatican priests are gay. Whether they are questioning or simply in the closet, is beyond knowing. Following these interviews, it is apparent that many present themselves as piety and "holy" in public but lead quite different private lives.

Citations

https://www.ourladyswarriors.org/articles/damian2.htm

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2000/11/04/challenges-and-gifts-homosexual-priest

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/excerpt-closet-vatican