Philippine Bishops Conference bans homosexual seminarians and priests

Philippine Bishops Conference bans homosexual seminarians and priests...

"I am your God, and I say unto you: continue to change My Church and you will fall! You will build a secular church, bringing in all--even heretics, even homosexuals. All aberrations condemned by the Eternal Father, you will permit in the name of humanism. Nay, no! I say unto you as your God. You will be given a short reign, for I consider you then an abomination, and as such you will be removed." - Jesus, May 23, 1979

The Philippine Headline News Online reported on November 2, 2004:

An updated manual for priestly formation released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressly stated the Church’s disapproval of gay priests and seminarians.

"Issues regarding homosexuality need to be calmly surfaced and clarified," said the 63-page Philippine Program for Priestly Formation, which puts emphasis on the human development of seminarians.

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, chairman of the CBCP’s Commission on Public Affairs, said in an interview that while the subjects of chaste celibacy and sexuality were included in the old manual, the new edition has put down in black and white the Catholic Church’s preference for heterosexual priests.

But while active homosexuality is not acceptable, Iñiguez said effeminate traits are.

"Active homosexuals do harm to others through their victims. They do harm to the Church," he explained.

Iñiguez said the Catholic Church had dismissed homosexual Filipino priests found guilty of abusing young boys.

"It is not only the Catholic Church in the United States that had to deal with such incidents. It has happened even here," Iñiguez said without elaborating.

Iñiguez said the issue of homosexuality should be explicitly included in the manual to make clear to aspiring priests what the Church requires of its clergy.

Seminarians discovered to be active homosexuals are expelled outright, Iñiguez said.

The manual, which serves as the curriculum for seminaries, gives administrators the responsibility to help their students confront and deal with such issues by creating an "atmosphere where seminarians could be more open and honest to them regarding issues they concretely confront in the area of sexuality and celibate chastity."

Iñiguez added that it is the seminary administrators and formators who determine whether a seminarian is a practicing homosexual.

"This is actually a (difficulty), that’s why having psychologists will really help us," he said.

Iñiguez said seminary formators would sometimes make inquiries regarding a seminarian reported to be gay but added that this technique has rarely helped in determining the truth.

The manual emphasized that seminaries should be vigilant on the "presence of sub-cultures... that undermine genuine communion," which include the code of silence, machismo, convenient sex and the gay culture, among other things, that have negative effect on seminarians.

The manual also stresses that such vigilance and having "a healthy community life in the seminary must continue in a vibrant community of priests after ordination."

Iñiguez said the Church is aware that there are instances when a seminarian recognizes his homosexuality only after he has been ordained a priest.

The manual was the central topic of discussion during the recently concluded launch of the Church’s Institute for Seminary Formators held Oct. 21-27 at the San Carlos Pastoral Formation Center in Makati City.

The work to update the Philippine Program for Priestly Formation was begun in 1995 by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Seminaries then led by Manila Archbishop Gaudenco Rosales, in consultation with seminary personnel nationwide.

Upon assuming Rosales’ post in 1999, Bishop Benjamin Almoneda continued the archbishop’s work, this time including the "societal realities" voiced out by some seminary personnel.

The board of drafters was composed of Almoneda and Fathers Aloysius Cartagenas, Carmelo Diola, James Agoo, Timoteo Ofrasio, Rodel Cajot, Eddie Mercado and Augusto Angeles.

The draft was revised and finalized by Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle and Fr. Danny Huang, SJ, in June 2003, and was presented to the plenary assembly early this year.

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The National Catholic Register reported on a September 5, 2002 speech given by Pope John Paul II, who stated that sexually disordered men are not appropriate candidates for the priesthood:

"It would be lamentable if, out of a misunderstood tolerance, they ordained young men who are immature or have obvious signs of affective deviations that, as is sadly known, could cause serious anomalies in the consciences of the faithful, with evident damage for the whole Church," the Holy Father said.
The term "affective deviations" is used by priestly formators to describe individuals with disordered sexual orientations - such as homosexuality or ongoing heterosexual activity - that are incompatible with priestly celibacy.

The Modesto Bee reported on September 19, 2002:

A staff member of an influential Vatican office has published an article arguing that gays should not be ordained as priests in the wake of the clerical sex abuse scandal.
If a man is gay, "then he should not be admitted to holy orders, and his presence in the seminary would not only give him false hope but it may, in fact, hinder" the therapy he needs, Monsignor Andrew Baker of the Congregation of Bishops wrote.

The Washington Times reported on September 20, 2002:

A Vatican official said today that homosexuals should not be recruited for the Catholic priesthood because they will undermine its mission and ministry.

Writing in the influential Jesuit journal America, Monsignor Andrew R. Baker of the Vatican's Congregation of Bishops in Rome said "same sex attraction" gives rise to an array of problems.
"First and foremost among them is the possible simultaneous manifestation of other serious problems such as substance abuse, sexual addiction and depression," the monsignor wrote.

"I will not stand for My priests who condone homosexuality and allow it in My priesthood! I will not stand for My priests who allow the murder of the unborn with their permissiveness! I will not stand by and allow My priesthood to be destroyed!" - Jesus, June 18, 1982

Directives from Heaven...

D63 - The Third Secret PDF
D172 - Priestly Celibacy PDF
D174 - Homosexuality, Part 2 PDF
D177 - Seminaries PDF

Articles...

Clear Vatican statement against ordaining homosexuals: "a person who is homosexual or has homosexual tendencies is not, therefore, suitable to receive the sacrament of sacred orders."
https://www.tldm.org/News5/Estevez.htm

Bishop D'Arcy urges ban on gay priests
https://www.tldm.org/News7/D'Arcy.htm

Homosexuality and Hope: excerpts taken from a document by the Catholic Medical Association
https://www.tldm.org/news6/ssa.htm

Homosexuality: dispelling the lies
https://www.tldm.org/News4/homosexuality2.htm

New head of bishops' review board on sexual assault by priests: "Very disappointed" in bishops
https://www.tldm.org/news6/burke.htm

Pope John Paul II: men with deviant affections cannot be priests
https://www.tldm.org/news5/deviants.htm

Pope orders cleanup of U.S. seminaries
https://www.tldm.org/news5/seminaries2.htm

What the Bible says about homosexuality
https://www.tldm.org/News6/homosexuality3.htm

Links...

Vatican Monsignor says gays shouldn’t be priests, Washington Times, September 20, 2002

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020920-85049356.htm

Catholic official argues against gay priests, Modesto Bee, September 19, 2002

http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/story/543081p-4290797c.html

Pope to Church: Risky seminarians must go, National Catholic Register, Sept. 15-21, 2002

http://www.ncregister.com/Register_News/091002sem.htm

Pope John Paul II: Men with deviant affections can’t be priests, ABC News, September 5, 2002

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20020905_339.html

Open Letter of the Catholic Medical Association to the U.S. bishops
http://www.cathmed.org/news_detail.asp?id=41&tableID=news

Catholic Medical Association: Homosexuality and Hope
http://www.cathmed.org/hhwebsite3.html

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