First I am requesting that this thread does not turn into a bashing of the Catholic Church and all the pedophile scandals. What happened is horrific and the way it was handled was wrong. We all know this and agree it was grievous. It has also given much fuel for satan to use.

I found this article on how the Vatican is addressing the issue. I was encouraged that the official stance is not going to be watered down or made to be politically correct. It sound like they are calling the problem what it is and trying to root out the causes, namely the infiltration of the Gay element in to the seminaries. It is tragic that it has taken such horrid events and such time to address the issue, but I applaud the efforts Pope Benedict has taken.

here is the article:


Vatican Says No Homosexuals in Priesthood – Approved by Pope Benedict

ROME, September 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Homosexual men may not be admitted to the Catholic priesthood, according to a soon-to-be released document that has been approved by Pope Benedict XVI. The document has been anticipated since before the death of Pope John Paul II and speculation has raged that it would retreat for political reasons from declaring a ban on ordaining declared homosexual men.

In a media update today, Catholic World News says that the text was approved by Pope Benedict at the end of August. The document, to be classed as an “Instruction” comes from the Congregation for Catholic Education and says that homosexual men should not be admitted to seminaries even if they are celibate. It says that homosexuality, understood by the Catholic Church as a moral and psychological disorder, seriously “detracts from their ability to serve as ministers.”

The document is expected to be released to the public after the international Bishops synod in Rome in October.

In 2002, the same year the scandal of widespread abuse of minors by homosexual predators in the priesthood, Catholic journalist and author, Michael Rose, released his best-selling exposé of what he identified as a homosexual underground in the seminary system that reached all the way into chanceries. Rose implicated bishops and seminary rectors as well as priests in enormous network whose objective was to make the Catholic priesthood a “gay profession.” The presence of the “lavender mafia” in US seminaries, said Rose in his book, has led to a clerical culture in which the teaching of the Catholic Church on other doctrinal issues, especially on abortion, contraception and marriage, is undermined or ignored.

Since 2002, the mainstream media and significant portions of the Catholic community have been attempting to paint the issue as one of “priestly pedophilia,” rather than homosexual predation. This, despite statistics that have clearly shown the great majority of abuse victims were young adolescent men and boys in their teens. The scandal has been a disaster for Catholics in the US, resulting in billions of dollars lost to law suits and a number of dioceses declaring bankruptcy.

The controversy over the anticipated document has been fueled by a long delay and speculation that the Vatican intended to back away from an outright ban on homosexuals in the priesthood. As recently as August 31, The Age newspaper in Australia was reporting that an unnamed highly placed Vatican source said the document was to be “shelved.”

Today’s announcement came at the same time as the US Church gears up for a Vatican-ordered inspection of seminaries. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, the head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services and the bishop appointed by Rome to head the investigation has said that he believes men with “strong homosexual inclinations” should not be allowed to enter seminaries.

A vocal group of homosexuals and their supporters in the priesthood and hierarchy have been advocating that the inspection of seminaries should focus on the issue of “celibacy” rather than homosexuality. This is seen by many as a smokescreen and a convenient back door for bishops who hesitate to support the Catholic teaching which has long been that homosexual men may not be ordained.

The seminary inspection will also investigate faculty members for dissent from Catholic teaching which Fr. Richard John Neuhaus has proclaimed is the root cause of the sexual scandals. In preliminary documents, the Vatican has ordered that areas to be examined include whether "there is a clear process for removing" dissident faculty.

My question is this, The problem is not just in the Catholic Church, I am sure satan has used the same tactic in other churches. Is anyone aware of any other denomination that is dealing with the issue of homosexuals in their seminaries, and pastors?

God Bless,
K.D.

Kansasdad,

"My question is this, The problem is not just in the Catholic Church, I am sure satan has used the same tactic in other churches. Is anyone aware of any other denomination that is dealing with the issue of homosexuals in their seminaries, and pastors?"

>Both the Episcopal and Presbyterian denominations have had this problem. There may be others. This perversion is actually very widespread and increasing both inside and outside of professing Christianity. A definite sign of the times. It is also prevalent in the Islamic culture of the Middle East.

I was not aware that it was a problem in the Islamic culture.

Hello Kanasdad

When I was in the Episcopal Church I was very up set with homosexually being okay that was back in the seventies....and it is much worse now...I talked with priests...and one priest told me if you knew how many Epsicopal priests were homosexual there would be a mass exdous of the Chruch!!!

I believe that part of this which has happened to the Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church is because Satan has targeted them first and foremost.....but it is in other Chruches too.....like Stephen said....this is a sign of the End Times.....I do not see it getting better....sorry. The Lord said things would only get worse....but I also see the Lord working through his sheep...though.....for the true body of Christ is not a Chruch or a Building but Jesus Christ himself. ( no offense intended to anyone). Jesus is coming back for those who he has a relationship with and are his sheep ....not buildings or demoninations.

Muslims are not without sin.... Sin does not stop at the door of religious and spiritual leaders.

God Bless. marie<><

"Jesus is coming back for those who he has a relationship with and are his sheep ....not buildings or demoninations"

This is truth.

How about adulterers in the Church? or fornicators? Why should this one form of sexual imorality be considered ok?

By the way, it might be a problem in many Islamic countire but especially in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAR, and the other Fundamentalist states, they still enforce their version of Leviticus.

Who said these are considered ok? They are sinners like everyone else.

The point is that these kind of people should not be in leadership positions and they need to repent and deal with their sinfull life.

Jesus died for all our sins, but that does not mean that Christians will continue to sin on purpose and go ahead with their old sinfull life.

A true Christian knows when he/she sins and he/she repents.

A Christians' desire is not to sin, that comes automaticly after the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

"By the way, it might be a problem in many Islamic countire but especially in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAR, and the other Fundamentalist states, they still enforce their version of Leviticus"

Your are correct .... if they are caught ?

It's not a point what muslims do with homosexual behaviour, they are not a Christian denomination.

It's not a point what muslims do with homosexual behaviour, they are not a Christian denomination.
(Quote)

On the other hand, they uphold the Law better than even the Jews have. In the eyes of God however, that doesn't mean much for Law does not save, Law condems and convicts.

But are we really any better? SInce the current statistics show that the divorce rate, abortion rate, teen pregnancy rate, and other vices are the same within the Church as it is outside the Church.

There are ways to witness to Muslims but blessing the bombs we are dropping on them is not one of them.

thanks for the read KD.

You can add American Baptist to the list. If you ask, they have an official stand against homosexuals
being pastors and have an offical stand against homosexuality in general. But in many ways theyl
are where the military used to be with don't ask and don't tell. There is an entire association that is accepting churchs that are welcoming and affirming homosexuals.
This is not new and will be judged by God almighty at His chosen time.
j

YES! it is truth...AMEN!

I don't believe that.
Where did you get this information and who are "we" and which "church" are you talking about?

1. where did you get that info?
2. do you know how statistics are created? give you a hint...they take a small sample to speak for an entire group.

Amen Flogi!
It really is as simple as that.

You bet it's that simple.
It amazes me how complicated some people make it.

True.

God gave a easy life for us. And we humans complicated every single thing and confuse ourselves.

There are never going to learn, only time tells that