Pennsylvania has brought the clerical abuse of thousands of children into the limelight again. If God made us (as they believe), he instilled in every creature the need to procreate, and with it a sex drive. To deny it to priests is an abuse in itself.
Sexuality is a corner stone of our survival whether human or animal. If young priests start out believing they can deny themselves, many find out they can’t and turn to the easiest victim of all – children. Those children are damaged for life and suffer from the consequences.
Priests have other relationships as well and the church knows and tolerates it. Celibacy is unnatural and there is no reason for it but executing power. A cruel way of inflicting guilt. So, why not acknowledge it and free those priests from those conflicts?
We point our fingers at other religions, like Islam, and chide them for not moving into the 21st century. The Catholic Church has not renewed itself and its dogma in centuries, and even the priests don’t know how to approach it. They feel powerless themselves.
There is a cure – let the priests marry. Whether heterosexual or gay, it does not matter. How can they be expected to give guidance and support if they have never experienced marriage and parenthood. A very bad decision from the very start. It is the duty of the church to make big changes. Of course, the Vatican and its hierarchy will resist. It’s also time to bring women into the fold. A hierarchy of only men is outdated and should not be accepted.
If the Catholic Church will not renew itself it will hopefully lose more and more of their followers. It will be lastly in the hands of the congregations to force a change.
Karin Hertel
Saanich