B NDINGS Vol. 37 No. 4 A Publication of New Ways Ministry Fall 2018 The witch hunt for gay priests By Father James Martin, S.J. also, more broadly, L.G.B.T. people. Cardinal Raymond Burke, the influential have mentioned me by name.) America While the contempt directed at gay former archbishop of St. Louis, said, It is important to say that the majori- August 30, 2018 clergy is coming from just a handful of “There is a homosexual culture, not only ty (but not all) of the clerical abuse cardinals, bishops and priests, as well as among the clergy but even within the crimes were cases of priests preying on It is not surprising that Catholics are a subset of Catholic commentators, it is hierarchy, which needs to be purified at male adolescents and boys. Also, the furious about the latest sex abuse crisis, as intense as it is dangerous. “It is time to the root.” majority (but not all) of the sexual har- which began, most recently, with accu- Michael Hichborn, assment cases were men harassing other sations of abuse and harassment against president of the Lepanto men or young men. Prescinding from the the former cardinal-archbishop of Wash- Institute, takes this to its complex psychological questions of how ington, D.C., Theodore McCarrick; deep- inevitable conclusion, tell- much a person’s sexuality has to do with ened with the Pennsylvania grand jury ing the Associated Press abuse, how much differentials in power report detailing 70 years of abuse in the that what is needed is “a do and how much proximity does, we Commonwealth; and intensified with the complete and thoroughgo- should state clearly: Many priests abus- former Vatican nuncio to the United ing removal of all homo- ers had a homosexual orientation. That is States Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s sexual clergymen in the undeniable. 11-page “testimony” accusing many high church.” But the next step is where the con- -ranking clerics, including Pope Fran- In the last few days I versation can take a dangerous turn. That cis, with covering up the crimes. have seen more homopho- many abusers were gay priests does not Catholics have a right to be angry at bic comments on my social mean that all or even most gay priests are abusive clergy, at bishops who covered media accounts than ever abusers. It is a dangerous and unjust ste- up their crimes and at the sclerotic cleri- before. The rise in vitriol is reotype. Simply because a certain per- cal system that allowed the crimes and not surprising, especially centage of a group acts in a certain way cover-ups to go unpunished for decades. after such comments from does not mean the entire group or even But the intensity of hate and level of church leaders and Catho- most of the group acts in the same way. anger directed at gay priests are unprece- lic commentators or after Then why does it seem like so many dented in my memory. headlines like these: “Pope gay priests are abusive? One reason is What I mean by “gay priests” is or- Blames Sex Abuse on that there are no public examples of the dained priests with a homosexual orien- Clericalism, Leaves Out healthy, celibate gay priests to counteract tation who are living their promises of Homosexuality”; “Sex these stereotypes. Why not? Because gay celibacy (and in religious orders, their Abuse Crisis in Church is priests are not willing to be as public vows of chastity). That it is necessary Father James Martin, SJ about Homosexuality Not about their identity as straight priests are. even to define the term “gay priest” Pedophilia”; “Homosexual For example, in a community suffering points out the widespread misinfor- admit that there is a homosexual subcul- Predators, not Pedophile Priests, Are from a spate of L.G.B.T. violence, there mation about what has become perhaps ture within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church’s Deadly Cancer. can be no references in a Sunday homily the most incendiary topic in the current Church that is wreaking great devastation Archbishop Viganò’s “testimony” to knowing what it is like to be bullied discussion. A few commentators have in the vineyard of the Lord,” wrote Bish- was also rife with this same kind of lan- for being gay. The presider cannot say, even declared that the term “gay” implies op Robert Morlino of Madison, Wis. A guage: “These homosexual networks, “As a boy, I was bullied, too, for being that a priest must be sexually active. As I Swiss bishop, Marian Eleganti, declared which are now widespread in many dio- gay.” use the term, a “gay priest” simply that the “networks” of gay priests in the ceses, seminaries, religious orders, etc., Why do gay priests feel that they means an ordained priest who has a ho- church must be investigated before the act under the concealment of secrecy and cannot be public? For several reasons. mosexual orientation. “great purification” can begin. A bishop lies with the power of octopus tentacles, First, the fear of coming out in this in- The long-simmering rage against in Kazakhstan, Athanasius Schneider, and strangle innocent victims and priest- creasingly poisonous environment. (Ask gay priests and the supposed homosexual listing remedies for clergy abuse, be- ly vocations, and are strangling the entire yourself if you would come out when subculture” or “Lavender Mafia” has gan with this: “cleanse uncompromising- Church.” (Full disclosure: both Arch- even bishops are calling for a “cleans- been fanned into a fire that threatens to ly the Roman Curia and the episcopate bishop Viganò in his “testimony” and ing” of men like you.) Second, bishops from homosexual cliques and networks.” engulf not only faithful gay priests but Cardinal Burke in a recent interview (Continued on page 6) What I learned at the World Meeting of Families By Francis DeBernardo valid harms people severely. equality. Bondings 2.0 Since the early spring, the organizers The momentum for LGBT equality Newwaysministry.org/blog of the World Meeting of Families ap- which built up this week will be hard to August 28, 2018 peared to try to shut out any public par- slow down. We Are Church Ireland, a ticipation of LGBT families and to se- pro-LGBT Catholic reform group, de- When I set out for Ireland nine days verely limit the discussion of LGBT is- serves much of the credit for planning ago, I thought I was going there to report sues at the event. After having spent a and assisting at so many of the week’s on a church conference. Instead, the week in Dublin covering the World events designed to demonstrate support experience has felt more like I was cov- Meeting of Families as a journalist and for not only LGBT equality, but for ering a revolution. an advocate, I have this to report about women’s ordination, and for justice for I know that is strong language, but the organizers’ efforts: they failed. abuse victims. Their leadership will that is how it felt. In over a quarter of a Far from stifling the discussion of keep things going here on the Emerald century of attending demonstrations LGBT issues, attempts to censor and Isle, and the member groups of the Glob- which called for inclusion of and equali- exclude LGBT voices simply amplified al Network of Rainbow Catholics will ty for LGBT people in the church, I have them, if not at the WMF proper, then in help to spread that momentum around never experienced anything like the the media discussion which surrounded the world. strong, confident, and resolved people the event. The organizers succeeded at On my first full day at the World that I encountered here in Dublin. doing the exact opposite of what they Meeting of Families, I snapped a photo Part of the reason this week felt dif- hoped to do. of a volunteer with Trocaire, the overseas ferent was because it didn’t feel like it The discussion of LGBT issues in development charity of the Catholic was only a distinct group of protesters news reports about the WMF helped to Church in Ireland (similar to Catholic sending out a message: it felt like it was raise awareness that the Irish people, Relief Services in the U.S., CAFOD in a whole nation. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar whose souls and culture are very Catho- the U.K., and Caritas in many other na- was accurate when in his address to the lic, have rejected the church hierarchy’s T-shirt motto at World Meeting of tions). He was wearing a T-shirt embla- pope he informed the pontiff that Ireland negative approach to LGBT topics. And Families zoned with Trocaire’s motto: “Until had changed greatly since Pope John like pro-LGBT Catholics around the Love Conquers Fear.” (photo left) Tro- Paul had visited in 1979. world, their Catholic heritage and tradi- caire volunteers wearing that same T- Ireland’s resolve to support LGBT tions are what inspire them to welcome ries themselves as LGBT Catholics. shirt were visible all over the WMF ven- people is very much connected with their and affirm LGBT people and to work for LGBT people and supporters found ue. righteous anger at the miserable way their equal treatment in church and socie- creative ways to get their message across That motto is apt for the revolution church officials here had treated children ty. to WMF participants through song and that I experienced here in Dublin. It was and protected abusers for decades and Part of the revolution that occurred art and witness.