Anglican bishop
criticizes Vatican over gays
By Daniel Frykholm,
Reuters from the Web, November 25, 2005
STOCKHOLM, Nov.24 -- Gay U.S.
Anglican bishop Gene Robinson said on Thursday a Vatican document barring
practicing gay men from becoming Roman Catholic priests showed a profound
misunderstanding of homosexuality.
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The Right
Reverend Gene Robinson acknowledges the applause from the
congregation during Investiture ceremonies, making him the Ninth
Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in
Concord, New Hampshire March 7, 2004. Robinson said on Thursday a
Vatican document barring practicing gay men from becoming Roman
Catholic priests showed a profound misunderstanding of
homosexuality.
Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder) |
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The document, due to be published
next week, says men with "deep-seated" gay tendencies cannot become priests and
that only those who have overcome their homosexuality at least three years
before ordination can do so.
"I think the Vatican, or whoever wrote this statement, should spend a little
more time listening to its gay and lesbian members rather than putting out
statements," said Robinson, having read media reports on the document.
"This strikes me as language from people who profoundly do not understand gay
and lesbian people ... who know next to nothing about being gay or lesbian,"
Robinson, whose ordination as bishop in 2003 plunged the Anglican Church into
crisis.
The document reinforces existing Roman Catholic policy that many in the Church
believe has not been properly enforced, but Robinson told Reuters during a visit
to Stockholm it would only force people to lie about their sexual orientation.
"It's very clear here that if you want to be a priest in the Roman Catholic
Church and you know you're gay, you have to lie about it," he said.
DEEP DIVISIONS
Robinson was the first openly gay man to be ordained as a bishop in the U.S.
Episcopal church, sparking deepening divisions among the world's 77 million
Anglicans.
Earlier this month, almost half the world's Anglican archbishops demanded action
from Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams over "unrepented sexual immorality"
in the church. Williams has always been personally tolerant of gay clergy.
Robinson said there were probably many Roman Catholics like himself.
"There are plenty of gay men who have faithfully served the Roman Catholic
Church, who know themselves to be gay and who are faithful to their vow of
celibacy. To exclude them from the ordained ministry is a real mistake,"
he said.
"It appears that being celibate is not good enough."
The document, parts of which were read to Reuters by a Vatican prelate on
Tuesday, differentiates between "deep-seated" gay tendencies and a "transitory
problem," but also says homosexuals cannot relate "correctly to men and women."
"That's offensive to me, and this language just strikes me as profoundly
separated from the real lives of gay and lesbian men and women that I know,"
said Robinson.
During his visit to Stockholm, Robinson met leaders of the Lutheran Church of
Sweden, which allows gay clergy and recently decided to hold formal blessing
ceremonies for registered same-sex partnerships.
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