I disagree with the idea that sexuality can be or should be mastered or placed behind other areas of our lives. I teach high school and with the freshmen class I teach a unit on sexuality. The definition I give my students is that “sexuality is the energy that allows us to be in relationship with each other.” I don’t just mean romantic relationships either. This energy within all of us allows us to form relationships with our parents, teachers, friends, neighbors, and romantic interests. The word “mastered” sounds so oppressive as to be harmful to the integrity of an individual. We need to learn to integrate our sexuality with all aspects of our selves to be healthy. Yes, there is a problem with anyone, be they heterosexual or homosexual, who make the defining stance of their lives their sexuality. Men who are not able to integrate their sexuality will not make healthy celibates.
I believe that what we need more than a witch hunt or a scapegoat for the Church’s shame is a better understanding of our sexuality. As a culture we Americans are both prudish and blatantly sexualized. We need to find a healthy balance in order to live fully as we are called to live. One of the articles I read about this issue said that homosexuals couldn’t live in the male world of the seminary without the temptations being too much for them. That statement is an insult to those who live a healthy celibacy and an insult to the women who fill the pews of the Church. As a theology student I had a few seminarians that struggled with crushes they had on me. It was sweet and flattering. We both learned a lot from the experience while the men learned more about themselves and the struggle to live celibately. Priests are not going to stay in the rarified male world of the seminary. Heterosexual priests will have to learn how to manage their attractions of the women they minister to, as homosexual priests have to learn to manage their own attractions.
As an aside how can Jeff’s statement “we do almost everything better than everybody else” contribute to the humility he calls us to?

I do know this: There are a number of homosexual men either working as priests or in the seminary that take the promise of celibacy seriously and place their sexuality in a place behind their ministry or studies, this is what I like to think is asked of all men called to the priesthood. It was the method I used when I was studying as a seminarian to be successful in controlling the urges brought about by the different relationships with women that I was blessed with. I did not ignore my sexuality, I put it second or third or even further distant to the ministry of the Church. I still appreciated the sight of a beautiful woman and the friendship of many female companions but never made sex the focus of those things. I like to believe that we can allow our gay seminarians and priests the same latitude. I know many men that have mastered their sexuality and, while attracted to other men, don’t make it the focus of their relationships and dealings with those men. I think we need to reevaluate the way we appraoch admission to our seminaries. There must be a stronger evaluation and examination of every man to determine whether he is able to place his sexuality on the back burner and place their focus on the ministry of the Church and service to God. Finally, it wouldn’t hurt us to be a bit more open to criticism from the outside world. I know we are America and we do almost everything better than everybody else but, we can use a little help when it comes to ideas like humility and obedience.

Jeff

I attended the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. as a part-time student for four years. I definitely identify with Jeff’s experience in the seminary. As one of about a dozen young women at WTU I was aware of the tensions that occurred between the seminarians and the lay students in regards to attraction. I don’t believe the tensions were a bad thing though. If both the men pursuing a celibate lifestyle and the laywomen and laymen were honest and sincere about living and supporting celibacy, then much growth and maturity could happen. (I could also tell stories of those who didn’t nor were planning on living celibately.)

Theresa

As a former seminarian, I have witnessed the effects of men trying to cover their homosexuality and men that flaunt it openly first hand. I find both conditions to be equally destructive to the formation process and to the dignity of those men and the priesthood. Because they did not feel able to openly express their sexuality, I saw men turn to alcohol, eating disorders, seclusion, and even sexual acting out with females to “prove” themselves as hetero. I saw men scandalize other seminarians and the general public with flamboyant displays of their homosexuality in a kind of “In Your Face” attitude about chastity. I was sickened by both. Watching perfectly good candidates for the priesthood, men who really loved the Church and felt called to serve as her priests throw it all away because so much focus was placed on their sexuality was saddening and frustrating. Watching men use their position as seminarians as a soapbox for gay rights and the overall acceptance of the gay lifestyle was equally dismaying.
Jeff

On the other hand, a majority of the victims were male and the offenders, as near as I can tell, were all male, so to ignore the possibility that a majority of the offenders were homosexual is tantamount to burying one’s head in the sand.

This statement ignores a number of issues. First because boys were available in a way girls were not, and second, from everything I have read, most pedophiles are heterosexual. The investigation of homosexuality in the seminary is offensive to me. How can a man who has struggled with his sexuality (in a society and a church that labels homosexuals as “other”) really trust that he is accepted as a child of God? This investigation places students and professors in a difficult bind. If everyone is going to be interviewed then the level of trust is damaged. Studying theology is different from other fields because it touches at the very core of who we are and what we believe. If you can’t trust the professor and your classmates then you can’t give yourself fully to your studies.
Theresa

There is a large response from American Catholics that this “investigation” is looking at the wrong problem in the wrong place. They are sure the problem is solely with pedophile priests in dioceses where the bishop has refused to acknowledge a problem in the first place. I agree that this is definitely part of the problem. For too many years, bishops and archbishops not so much looked the other way as refused to admit that men under their “command” were committing acts of depravity and ugliness under the cover of their cassock and the cloak of the Church. We must continue to root out those that acted with indifference and make them accountable for their inaction or irresponsibility. On the other hand, a majority of the victims were male and the offenders, as near as I can tell, were all male, so to ignore the possibility that a majority of the offenders were homosexual is tantamount to burying one’s head in the sand. That is not to say that every homosexual seminarian or priest is a pedophile but it does bear examining.
What are we, as Americans and as Catholics to do about this problem. The military tried, “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” to no real success. A general purging of the seminaries and rectories would be unjust, not only to those ousted, but to the communities they serve as well. We are a society that is used to having a say in the events that effect our lives. Should we be able to tell Rome, “Hey, this is America! We’ll take care of the problem. It’s what we do.” or should we serve up a large piece of humble pie (a la’ mode of course) and allow parties from the outside evaluate the situation and suggests a course of action?

Jeff