MONTREAL, January 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Montreal’s Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte fielded questions from reporters on the news that the city’s Grand Seminaire would be performing HIV tests on applicants.
“For us, HIV is a disease like any other, but it’s a very serious disease,” he said. “The question is not whether he is homosexual. It is whether or not he has an active sexuality. Whether it is hetero or homo, it’s the same thing. To live in celibacy you cannot have an active sexuality.”
The Cardinal compared discovery of HIV infection to discovery of any other serious health problem. “It’s not only a job we take for a few months or a few years. It’s a state of life,” he said.
Cardinal Turcotte also suggested the testing has nothing to do with the sexual abuse scandals involving priests.
“HIV has nothing to do with pedophilia,” he said.
With files from Canada.com