Injustice at Catholic Seminaries

As the Catholic Church begins to take a deeper look at their seminaries many homosexual priests are upset. The Roman Church is seeking to weed out all homosexuality and homosexual practice within the priesthood. In light of the recent sexual abuse scandals that have riddled the church many argue that such a move will cut off the problem at its root. However, as expected, most homosexuals are not at all happy. It appears that the Vatican is working on a document which will bar all gay men from the clergy. They will begin at the seminary level in hopes of rooting out any homosexuals which may be thinking they are called into the ministry. One 48 year old gay priest has compared the recent moves of the Roman Church to Hitler’s “Final Solution” by exterminating and persecuting all the Jews. A 30 year old Franciscan seminarian says that the thought of leaving seminary has not crossed his mind and that he desires to speak out against such “injustices.” Others argue that homosexuality is not the issue, but celibacy is. Msgr. Denis Herron, pastor of St. Teresa's Church in NY, believes that a commitment to celibacy is more important than one’s sexual orientation. "Some people can't make that commitment, and that can be heterosexuals or homosexuals," Monsignor Herron said. "I'm concerned that this could turn into a witch hunt." It very well may turn into a witch hunt but are not some witch hunts necessary? The Bible is clear in its denunciation of homosexuality. The question then becomes, “how closely will the Roman Catholic Church follow the teachings of the Bible?” This issue is much deeper than just a few sexual abuse scandals – it is a matter of God’s holy word. Read a TIME article on the Roman Church and Homosexuality. UPDATE: Amy Welborn, in an Op Ed for the NY Times, argues for the validity of such a "purge" of homosexuality from Catholic seminaries for the sake of the people in the pew. She writes, "But a seminary also owes us, the people in the pews, psychologically mature priests who aren't engaged in an eternal and ego-driven struggle with their own problems, who are prepared to serve, to teach and preach - with integrity and honesty."