Vatican denies celibacy rule led to sex scandal

[IndianaGreen]

Vatican denies celibacy rule led to sex scandal

By NICOLE WINFIELD
The Associated Press
Sunday, March 14, 2010; 3:17 PM

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican on Sunday denied that its celibacy requirement for priests was the root cause of the clerical sex abuse scandal convulsing the church in Europe and again defended the pope's handling of the crisis.

Suggestions that the celibacy rule was in part responsible for the "deviant behavior" of sexually abusive priests have swirled in recent days, with opinion pieces in German newspapers blaming it for fueling abuse and even Italian commentators questioning the rule.

Much of the furor was spurred by comments from one of the pope's closest advisers, Vienna archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, who called this week for an honest examination of issues like celibacy and priestly education to root out the origins of sex abuse.

"Part of it is the question of celibacy, as well as the subject of character development. And part of it is a large portion of honesty, in the church but also in society," he wrote in the online edition of his diocesan newsletter.

His office quickly stressed that Schoenborn wasn't calling into question priestly celibacy, which Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed as recently as Friday as an "expression of the gift of oneself to God and others."

But Schoenborn has in the past shown himself receptive to arguments that a celibate priesthood is increasingly problematic for the church, primarily because it limits the number of men who seek ordination.

Last June, Schoenborn personally presented the Vatican with a lay initiative signed by prominent Austrian Catholics calling for the celibacy rule to be abolished and for married men to be allowed to become priests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/14/AR2010031400814.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Here is the related thread to which the Vatican is responding. DUer Joanne98 is the OP:

Archbishop links priestly celibacy and Catholic sex abuse scandals

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=523503

[Captain Hilts]

1. It creates a very self-selecting population to become priests. That said, it does not explain the

pedofile scandals in youth hockey in Canada or the Rabinical school in Brooklyn that's in the thick of it right now.

I think unchallenged male authority is the problem.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. You make a lot of sense.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Pedophiles are attracted to any job that puts them in close contact with children

A celibate priesthood may attract people with sexual repressions, who may or may not be pedophiles, but certainly leads to abnormal behaviours such as fetishes, sado-masochism, etc.

The Pope's brother admitted to physically abusing the children in the choir by slapping them.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Youth hockey. The Orthodox Hebrew school in Brooklyn...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99913807

Authority is the problem.

[applegrove]

5. I could see how never having sex could make you weird if

you are a man. But I don't see how being awkward or a weird duck translates into paedophilia.

[SharonAnn]

6. I think the concept of Patriarchal Authority is far more responsible for this.

[agentS]

7. the recent gay prostitute sex scandal

I think that sex scandal as well as the others are clear signals that something is wrong at the Vatican. Celibacy (or hypocrisy about it) is having an effect, as well as the authority issues.
Maybe it's time they got some women up in there, because obviously this is not working.