Rome, married priest and homosexuals

Rome, married priest and homosexuals - Updated with links

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Tuesday November 14, 2006 · 7:43 PM PST

2006/11/14 · 19:43

There were two interesting announcements today from the Roman Catholic Church. The first was the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI was calling together the power base in Rome to discuss the issue of clerical celibacy. The second was the declaration from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in which they declare that homosexuals are sinful people if they live a life of love with a committed partner, announce in any way their sexuality or basically take another breath.

While the two announcements seem to have very little in common, I believe they are linked. They are linked through one common thread. The church has always taught this and thus it cannot be changed.

For those of you that would claim that the Roman Catholic Church has never said that dogmas cannot change, I would encourage you to read the Oath against Modernism by Pope Pius X. In it he declares, "Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously."

It would seem that if this were true then the very idea of discussing a move away from the dogma of clerical celibacy would be heretical and would then call into question the fidelity and sanctity of the Pope. Would it not show that the Holy Spirit had departed Pope Benedict XVI if he were to do something that would be considered heretical?

If this dogma can be changed without creating heresy, then why can't the dogma on homosexuality change in the face of scientific data that shows that homosexuality is not a choice but a human condition that man is born with? What would make this dogma any more solid and unchanging than the dogma of clerical celibacy?

The question was raised to me today: would you return to the Roman Catholic Church if given the opportunity to be a priest and remain married? My answer was no. There is still too much intellectual dishonesty within the church for me to make such a move. There is still the roadblock of Papal Infallibility and the issue of homosexual's rights and dignity. And then there is also the matter of female priest.

The RC must move forward. They must examine the advances made by science into the origin of man as well as the function of his or her DNA and genetics. Through this understanding of how God made us, we can better serve him and reach out to embrace everyone as a church, not just the select few that are deemed worthy at this point.

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