CALGARY, March 22, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Commenting on the continuous media reports of sexual abuse by some Catholic clergy, a Calgary, Alberta priest has accused the media of a “conspiracy of silence” on the central issue in the matter – homosexuality. Father Robert Novokowsky of Calgary’s St. Anthony’s Church told the Calgary Herald that most of the scandals are not cases of true pedophilia but rather cases of homosexuality. “Homosexual priests preying on young men rather than prepubescent children,” sums up Herald reporter Joe Woodard.
Fr. Novokowsky also said, “These scandals deliberately get plastered across the front pages of the papers. So when people see someone in a (Roman) collar, they tend to say, not, ‘There’s a priest,’ but ‘There’s a member of that institution that harbours pedophiles.’”
Well known Catholic writer Peggy Noonan, a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal, writes about the problem noting that the pool from which to draw Catholic priests became far smaller as Catholic families had less children. Thus seminaries which once had a vast pool of talent from which to choose began accepting unsuitable candidates. “Some, perhaps many, were sexually ambivalent, or confused, or burdened. Certainly some of them saw themselves as homosexual in their orientation,” writes Noonan.
In her article Noonan also comments on the sentiments of some who suggested that ridding the Church of the problematic priests would deplete the ranks of the clergy. “If the Catholic Church throws out the evil priests, its Savior will no doubt see to it that good priests come forward to take their place. That Savior is after all the God of miracles.”
With probably the best article on the topic thus far, Phil Brennan, a journalist for NewsMax.com writes, “Rather than face the demonstrable fact that by allowing a coven of radical feminists to occupy positions that gave them the right to accept or reject candidates for entry into some seminaries – a practice so abused that homosexuals were actually given preference – bishops allowed the practice to continue out of fear of offending militant homosexual pressure groups both inside and outside the priesthood. Moreover, the hierarchy is reluctant to offend the militant homosexual lobby by admitting what is patently obvious – that the pedophile priest problem is a homosexual problem: Without the presence of homosexuals in the priesthood there would be no pedophile priest problem.” This avoidance of appropriate action because of fear of aggressive homosexual activists has also become widespread in secular government, education, and business organizations and most religious denominations.
Brennan is hopeful for the Church however as he recalls “the Church is never stronger than it is when it’s under attack. In times of persecution, the Church grows muscular and thrives. Catholics under relentless attack and persecution retreat into the holiness Christ demands from all of us.” He concludes: “It may not be fun to endure what lies in store for Catholics as a result of the scandal, but when it’s all over Roman Catholicism in America will emerge from the darkness and be stronger and more vibrant, once again, undeterred by fear of offending the offenders, a courageous force for truth in a world dominated, as it has always been, by the lie.”
See related LifeSite coverage: POPE’S SPOKESMAN SAYS HOMOSEXUALS “JUST CANNOT BE ORDAINED” PRIESTS https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/mar/02030402.html
See the coverage from the Peggy Noonan and Phil Brennan; https://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=105001802 https://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/3/19/205432.shtml