US Catholic Bishops refuse to be bugged by buggery

Thanks to The Washington Times' newly redesigned website.

U.S. Catholic bishops will sidestep the issue of whether homosexual men should become priests at their semiannual meeting, which begins tomorrow, despite the Vatican's concern about the role of homosexuals in the church's massive sex-abuse scandal.

In the latest edition of an 84-page document on priestly training, only one sentence deals with homosexuality.

"With regard to the admission of candidates with same-sex experiences and/or inclinations, the guidelines provided by the Holy See must be followed," says the document "Program of Priestly Formation."

The program is expected to be approved by the bishops in their Chicago meetings, scheduled to end Saturday. It then would be forwarded to Rome for final approval.

However, the Vatican, which is said to be preparing to crack down on homosexuality in seminaries, has never issued official guidelines, canon laws or papal pronouncements on whether Catholic seminaries should remain open to homosexual men. Only a Feb. 2, 1961, Vatican directive to canon law speaks directly to the matter.

"Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty," reads the directive, which is advisory rather than a binding law.

So, is it Canon Law or not?

But the "guidelines" mentioned in the document, now in its fifth edition, refer to rules that might be set forth by the Vatican, said Bill Ryan, spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

"I know that sounds a little vague," he added.

A USCCB investigation revealed in 2004 that 81 percent of 10,667 priestly sexual-abuse cases involved boys, with the largest share of those victims being 11 or older. Estimates of the percentage of men studying for the priesthood who have homosexual attractions range from 25 percent to more than 50 percent.

If you want to sift through Canon Law, be my guest. I'll keep looking for a searchable copy.