Excerpt from LifeSiteNews.com

Catholic Schism Being Revealed as Homosexual Priest Document Readies for Release

By John-Henry Westen, VATICAN, November 14, 2005 – As the publication of the new Vatican document on homosexuality and the Catholic priesthood is about to be published at the end of the month, several Catholic leaders including an American bishop have publicly stated their views against the long-standing Vatican position against ordaining men with homosexual inclinations to the priesthood. Rochester, NY, Bishop Matthew H. Clark, was the latest to come out in favour of homosexual priests in a column in his diocesan paper Saturday.

…and…

Rev. Timothy Radcliffe, the international leader of the Dominican Order from 1992 to 2001, last week slammed any suggestion of barring homosexuals from the priesthood, and suggested barring “homophobes” instead. “Any deep-rooted prejudice against others, such as homophobia or misogyny, would be grounds for rejecting a candidate for the priesthood, but not their sexual orientation,” he said.

Clark, in his column, relates the story of priests and religious in his diocese who have “come out” to him as being homosexuals. About receiving the revelations, the bishop writes “I know that I was deeply gratified that they entrusted me with that information . . . Their simplicity and honesty with me only deepened my regard for them . . . and (I) felt enriched by their trust and confidence.”

Clark says media reports that the upcoming Vatican document will restate the church’s position that those with homosexual orientations are unfit for the priesthood are “a source of great pain for them and for all of us who know and love them.”

However, as re-affirmed in 1961, the Catholic Church’s official disciplines have strictly forbidden the ordination of homosexuals, whether ‘active and open’ or otherwise. The fact that the Vatican’s instruction was largely ignored is evidenced by the current proliferation of homosexual men in the priesthood and subsequent need for another document reiterating the direction.

Nevertheless, Clark says, “The fundamental concern of formation for a life of celibate chastity is for sexual maturity, not sexual orientation.” He goes so far as to tell homosexual men, using the homosexual activist “gay” term, “to gay young men who are considering a vocation to priesthood. We try to treat all inquiries fairly. You will be no exception.”

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If you look at the original posting from Bishop Clark in his diocesan newspaper you will notice that his column portrays him as so very open. It has a very positive spin. He portrays himself as being fair minded and accepting of people’s ‘vocations’. It is a reminder to his flock that there is a process of discernment and review before anyone becomes a priest. He tells us that he is not closing the door.

The different take in the LifeSiteNews article reminds me of the old saying, sometimes it is not helpful to be helpful – and for us at least, we should not be helpful in the way we discern (on our own).

Churches have a process for discernment, whether it is in vocational awareness or in matters of theology or dogma. When we decide to impose our personal agendas on a matter that has undergone discernment under the ecclesial norms of the Church, then we are being helpful in an unhelpful way.

Like Bishop Robinson of New Hampshire, the office of Bishop can be easily hijacked by personal agendas.

It is far more charitable and helpful to be honest about a vocation. Perhaps, your vocational calling is not to the Holy Priesthood, but to the single life. A life dedicated to Christ in chastity. Whether hetero or homosexual —“ chaste. And no, phony marriage ceremonies or govenment allowances do not relieve you of the necessity of not engaging in sinful sexual activity.

As we approach the season of Advent, let’s pray that we watch in patience. God has given us all we need for our journey. We need to set aside activist agendas that fly in the face of the Gospel’s call to repentance, and not just repentance, but to set aside sin. Sacrificial living is hard.

For those who love irony, today’s Buffalo News has an article about a 60 year old widower and grandfather that was ordained to the Holy Priesthood this past weekend. In it:

—A long-postponed journey into the Catholic priesthood concluded Saturday with the ordination at age 60 of the Rev. Richard J. Cilano of Victor in St. Joseph Cathedral.

The Mass was celebrated here [in Buffalo, NY] because the Rochester native’s home diocese, but not the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, deemed him too old.—

Yes, that’s Rochester, NY, Bishop Clark’s Diocese.