CAESAR'S WIFE :

Homosexuality a Factor in Sex Abuse by Priests (Joel Mowbray, March 26, 2002, TownHall.com)

Although greeted with a wave of protest, suggestions by Vatican spokesman Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls of a link between homosexuality and sexual abuse by priests cannot be lightly dismissed, and in fact, demand further exploration.

Part of the sensitivity in this discussion is the fear that such comments imply a connection between homosexuality and pedophilia. But in the overwhelming number of cases made public so far, the victims have been teenage boys (not girls), meaning that this does not fit the clinical definition of pedophilia, which is the obsessive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

In order to truly get at the root of the problem, the imperative question is why has the homosexuality of priests resulted in the molestation of adolescent boys?

According to most estimates, 25-50% of priests are homosexuals, compared to the 3-5% of men in the general public who are gay. Not only does the priesthood have a disproportionately strong appeal to homosexuals, but most of the priests involved in the scandals came of age during the sexual revolution of the late 60's and early 70's. Adding further fuel to the fire is the immaturity of many of these priests, who often joined the seminaries fresh out of grade school, denying them the normal social experiences of adolescence. The combination of homosexuality, lax sexual attitudes, and immaturity has proven a recipe for disaster.

The current scandal in the Catholic Church, although overblown by the antireligious for political purposes, represents a profound failure by one of the West's most important institutions. The Church, particularly in the wake of Vatican II, attempted to increase its popular appeal by making itself more like the general society of Europe and the U.S. (where most of its members were then located), rather than fulfilling its necessary role of demanding that society adhere to certain traditions, beliefs, and eternal moral standards. The idea that the Church could compromise on the sexual orientation of its clergy and not face eventual catastrophe is manifestly deranged. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 16, 2002 7:32 PM