"We don't want people to believe that everyone in the church thinks the same way."
That's a hoot. We could only wish that were the case in matters of faith and morals.
To these priests: in God's house, there are many mansions. You are looking for the one that says Anglican on it.
Meanwhile, singer George Michael, who recently went thru a same-sex wedding ceremony, was found semi-conscious slumped in a car due to drugs this weekend. Gee, I thought marriage was supposed to make these people happy! COuld ther be some underlying dysfunction? Perish the thought!
thomas tucker | 02.27.06 - 11:44 am | #

So what's the big deal? Oh wait, these are supposed to be Catholic Priests not Episcopal Priests. Now I see the big deal. n/m
Christopher | 02.27.06 - 12:07 pm | #

Suffice it to say that last night, when the news appeared on the bottom of the TV screen as we watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, I had to explain to my children why there will always be priests who, depsite their sacramental grace, can still be intellectually and morally wrong.

I guess I should look at the positive side and consider this as a teachable moment...
Roberto | 02.27.06 - 12:24 pm | #

"The signatories include the maverick, outspoken Father Raymond Gravel. Father Gravel -- who had a rough-and-tumble youth as a prostitute and barman in a leather bar before he entered the priesthood -- has often criticized the church's views on gays in the past."

This explains a lot about the source of the letter...
dpt | 02.27.06 - 12:39 pm | #

How weak must ones faith be, that, they would choose to turn to the word of the press, the word of activist groups, the word of liberal Canadians, the word of experimental young people to sway their commitment to church teaching, church history and the very fabric and of what the word of God has stood for, for so long. This is and will probably be thought as such, so be it, but a find this actually reprehensible behavior on the part of this gang of 19.

To act in such a schismatic way is, unbelievable; family is a centerpiece of the Catholic Church. We are suffering a decline of this already why God do they act in such a way, why. I’m sorry but not everyone’s calling is suited for this, and this merely confirms an absolute destructive, puerile, malcontented behavior on their part, God have mercy.
william james | 02.27.06 - 12:45 pm | #

The faithful priests here in Quebec need your prayers and support. This will only get worst.
Fr. Benoit | Homepage | 02.27.06 - 1:36 pm | #

Holy s**t, I missed the part about the prosititute/leather bar bartender turned priest. Who the heck ordained him, and didn't they bother to check and see if he had reformed and accepted Church teaching?
No? Why not?
As far this priest, how many young men is he wanting to support and affirm as they wind their way down the yellow brick road to AIDS,drug use, and the multitude of other dysfunctions that are kept hidden behind the curtain as we watch the media laugh at how cute the gay world of Oz is.
thomas tucker | 02.27.06 - 1:41 pm | #

This is an improvment. With Humanae Vitae the bishops actually took a dissenting position with the infamous Winnipeg statement of 1972. Now we at least have the bishops on side. We just have a few priests in dissent. All of Canada's Cardinals made statements against same sex marriage. It was not a foregone conclusion that would happen but it did. So there are some positives here. The other positive could come if some bishop figures out what his job is and disciplines these priests. Would you want to raise your family in a parish with a prosititute/leather bar bartender turned priest?
Randy | 02.27.06 - 2:02 pm | #

Fr. Benoit, you have my prayers.
Nerina | 02.27.06 - 2:16 pm | #

Would you want to raise your family in a parish with a prosititute/leather bar bartender turned priest?

So, in your worldview, prostitutes cannot repent? Perhaps you should try telling that to Mary Magdelene. Or perhaps you believe that God's forgiveness is only available to those who sin just a little bit.

Judge lest ye be judged. Or get your head out of your ass. Your choice.
Michael | Homepage | 02.27.06 - 2:51 pm | #

Michael, if the priest is dissenting from Church teaching, then it's not being judgmental to question the quality of his conversion and repentance.
And your next to last sentence is, at the risk of being judgmental, rude.
thomas tucker | 02.27.06 - 3:06 pm | #

I agree with Tom. Based on what is published in the article, I would question if the priest in question has repented--"go and sin no more."
dpt | 02.27.06 - 4:05 pm | #

"We don't want people to believe that everyone within the church thinks the same way," he said in an interview.

Does that go for the Resurrection and Real presence, too?

Sounds like it's time for a chat with the bishop. Perhaps they're fuzzy on a few items. Or perhaps they are in the wrong line of work.
Richard | 02.27.06 - 4:26 pm | #

Michael, if the priest is dissenting from Church teaching, then it's not being judgmental to question the quality of his conversion and repentance.

No. If Randy had asked if you wanted your family raised in a parish where the priest decented from church teachings that would be one thing. His comment was specifically about that priest's former life with no regards to his level of orthodoxy.

And your next to last sentence is, at the risk of being judgmental, rude.

And you are not being judgemental at all, just discerning. It was meant to be rude. But no ruder than a lot of other people around here. It seems to be perfectly fine to make faggot jokes and question the magisterium about just wars. But God forbid anyone raise a voice about Opus Dei.
Michael | Homepage | 02.27.06 - 5:04 pm | #

Michael,

I was just asking an honest question. I am a father of 5 and I would find it difficult. Maybe you could send your child on a weekend retreat with such a priest and not give it a second thought. MAybe you are holy enough that you can look down on anyone who might have a problem with this. Or maybe you are just a person who posts insulting comments without thinking. I will follow you advise and refuse to judge. I do feel the sex scandal has made such questions unavoidable.
Randy | 02.27.06 - 5:26 pm | #

RIght on Randy. I think the whole point about not being judgmental is often misunderstood and then used to deflect basically any criticism. The injunction has to do with judging the state of people's souls, not their actions or potential actions based on past experience. So, yes Michael, I am judging - not your soula and salvation, but the rudeness of your comment.
thomas tucker | 02.27.06 - 5:35 pm | #

I must be having a really bad day. The last bit of the article was the most depressing, that the schismatics were counting on the priest shortage to protect them from accountability.

Basically because of a labor shortage, the Church has had to recruit and retain unacceptable candidates for the priesthood (as the sex scandal amply illustrates). So why not lighten the work load to reduce the demand?

In my parish we have at least 8 deacons, who can marry, bury, and baptize. If they were allowed to consecrate at the Eucharist, there would be no priest shortage. Reserve confession for priests and the problem is solved.

I am not proposing a married priesthood, but on the other hand, why not - the Church currently tolerates as priests: self avowed athiest, active homosexuals, child molesters, dead beat dads, and married Anglicans! But not faithfully married Catholics!
Chris | 02.28.06 - 9:46 am | #

I think the issue is simpler that that. When you raise the bar for priests you get more priests not less. Young men will respond to a tough challenge to be holy. They don't want to join a wishy-washy priesthood. Associating the priesthood with homosexuality is another way to get young men to avoid it. The shortage of priests seems like the best reason to discipline these guys.
Randy | 02.28.06 - 1:20 pm | #

"Rough and tumble", eh? I can well imagine.
Phil in Canada | 02.28.06 - 10:07 pm | #

As pertains to La Belle Province this is a dying tempest in a shrinking teapot.

People wonder if these 19 priests are aware of basic Catholic teachings.

It seems, and I'm from Québec, that these 19 don't even know that The Church hasn't banned homosexuals from the priesthood.......just active homosexuals.

After all, one can't be "celibate" all the while remaining active.

Same goes for heteros.

Would anyone here want a hetero parish priest who regularly beds 16 year old runaways, or who spends half the collection plate on prostitutes?

Celibacy is celibacy is celibacy....

The 19 should either get over it or just get out.

They should also do their homework before embarking on a letter-writing campaign because The Church hasn't banned homosexuals from becomming priests, at all.
John Palubiski | 03.01.06 - 2:47 pm | #

It seems to be perfectly fine to make faggot jokes...

Actually, it isn't. Our host has on one occasion I can recall specifically (and I doubt it was the only time) deleted comments using the f-word against Andrew Sullivan and apologized to me for others' using that word.
Courage Man | Homepage | 03.01.06 - 4:21 pm | #

John Palubiski:

The issue is not celibacy; it is chastity.
Bob | 03.01.06 - 9:32 pm | #

Well, if someone's celibate, Rob, then would they not also be "chaste".

As opposed to "chased"

Ok, bad pun....

And as for "chastity"?

Why, that's Sonny and Cher's daughter!

In any case, Québec is really *screwed*!
John Palubiski | 03.02.06 - 1:37 pm | #

John,

Technically, the core meaning of celibacy is the state of not being married. Naturally if a priest who has promised to remain celebate is orthodox, sexual practice outside of marriage is forbidden and so he will either be continent or else be in sin.

On the other hand, if a given priest is a heterodox gay priest, they can argue that a) they don't believe that gay sex is wrong then it isn't wrong for them to have gay sex and b) since they haven't gotten married they've kept their vow.
Publius | Homepage | 03.03.06 - 4:29 am | #

Of course the same thing could apply to heterodox heterosexual priests, but I've never actually heard of a priest coming right out and saying that fornication is okay.
Publius | Homepage | 03.03.06 - 4:30 am | #