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VATICAN OFFICIAL SAYS HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD NOT BE ORDAINED

Reinforces Pope's recent statement to Brazilian bishops

VATICAN CITY STATE, September 20, 2002 (LSN.ca)- Monsignor Andrew R. Baker
of the Congregation of Bishops, the body in Rome that attempts to manage the episcopate around the world, has written an article in the once-important Jesuit journal America, saying that "same sex attraction" gives rise to an array of problems and should be grounds for barring someone from the priesthood.

"First and foremost among [these problems] is the possible simultaneous manifestation of other serious problems such as substance abuse, sexual addiction and depression," the monsignor wrote. Homosexual men, he said, "may be more familiar with certain patterns and techniques of deception and repression, either conscious or subconscious, which were learned in trying to deal with their tendencies in a largely heterosexual environment."

Arguing the opposite in the same issue, U.S. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, known to be one of the most liberal bishops in the United States, decried what he called "scapegoating of homosexual priests and seminarians" for the sex-abuse crisis. "Without being aware of it," he said, "untold numbers of people in the church have been blessed by the compassionate and healing ministry of gay priests and bishops. Ordinary
common sense tells us that such ministry is from God." In February, the pope's spokesman, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, also said homosexual men should not be ordained.

For coverage from the Washington Times see:
http://asp.washtimes.com/printarticle.asp?action=print&ArticleID=20020920-850493...

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