THE Catholic Church is guilty of double
standards for denouncing homosexuality as a disorder while knowing many
of its priests and trainees at its seminaries were gay, a Scots-based
Vatican adviser has warned.
THE Catholic Church is guilty of double standards for denouncing
homosexuality as a disorder while knowing many of its priests and
trainees at its seminaries were gay, a Scots-based Vatican adviser has
warned.
John Haldane, a professor of philosophy at St Andrews University and a
leading commentator on Scottish Catholic affairs, said the Cardinal
Keith O'Brien scandal was a challenge for the church to reform. The
process, he added, should include cutting the number of dioceses north
of the Border by 50%.
Mr Haldane also suggested a committee of about six lay advisers be formed to see it through the transformation.
Currently five of the eight dioceses are without bishops, numerous
parishes are struggling to find priests and finances are also dire in
many areas.
The three priests and a former priest who made allegations of
inappropriate behaviour against O'Brien said they felt vindicated after
he admitted sexual misconduct.
Catherine Deveney, the journalist who broke the story last week, said
she had spoken to the four men, who were "relieved at being vindicated"
adding none of the accusers was pursuing a personal vendetta against
O'Brien. She added: "There is obvious sadness for Keith O'Brien as a
man, but this wasn't about just Keith O'Brien the man but about Keith
O'Brien the cardinal. So there is a mixture of sadness, a bit of relief
they have been vindicated and I would say there has also been a little
bit of anger it took all of this to get to where we are.
"One of the individuals concerned said that to take the cardinal on
as an individual himself would have been like running into a brick wall.
"These men are spiritual men. They want to see an open and
transparent Catholic Church as a result of this, they don't want to see
it destroyed."
Colin MacFarlane, of Stonewall Scotland, part of the gay rights group
which gave Cardinal O'Brien a Bigot of the Year award last year for his
anti-gay marriage stance, hopes to discuss the language used in the
debate over same-sex marriage with the church's leadership soon.
Mr MacFarlane accepted the Catholic Church had teachings on the issue
but said he took issue with the "grotesque" language used primarily by
Cardinal O'Brien, whose downfall he said was "a personal tragedy".
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said an estimated 40% of
Catholic priests are gay. He added: "Studies documented by Father Donald
Cozzens in the US suggest 23% to 58% of the clergy have a homosexual
orientation, with the figure being closer to 60% among younger priests.
"Recent revelations in Italy have alleged the existence of gay
cardinals and other Vatican officials, and their involvement in gay
bars, clubs, saunas, online chat rooms and male prostitution services.
Given their denunciation of homosexuality, how can they live with their
conscience?"
Businessman Sir Tom Farmer, who denied he was sheltering the fallen
church leader from the media, said he had taken the deliberate decision
of not finding out where Cardinal O'Brien had gone to escape the fallout
from his dramatic fall from grace.
Asked if he knew the whereabouts of the former leader of the Catholic
Church in Britain, the Kwik-Fit tycoon said: "It's not the case he's
staying in any property belonging to me. I don't know even now. I
purposefully said to everyone I didn't want to know where he is nor will
I try to find out where he is."
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