Church Hierarchy: Educated Catholics A Problem

I have maintained for some time now that the Roman Catholic Church's ability to convince Catholics to blindly follow the pronouncements of the senile, anti-gay and anti-woman members of the Church hierarchy (including the Nazi Pope, Benedict XVI) is a direct function of how ignorant and uneducated the members of the laity in the audience. Hence, the Church's growth in Africa and other uneducated areas of the world while church attendance declines in the developed and educated portions of the world. Science and education are the enemies of today's Roman Catholic Church which more and more preaches to the Catholic equivalents of the backwoods evangelicals. The concept that the Church is swimming against the tide of history and scientific knowledge apparently never enters the minds of Neanderthals in the hierarchy. Now, the Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, the Bishop of Lancaster, has more or less conceded as much in recent statements. Here are some highlights from the Telegraph:

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The Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, the Bishop of Lancaster, has claimed that [university] graduates are spreading scepticism and sowing dissent. Instead of following the Church's teaching they are "hedonistic", "selfish" and "egocentric", he said. In particular, the bishop complained that influential Catholics in politics and the media were undermining the Church. While not naming names, he suggested that such people had been compromised by their education, which he said had a "dark side, due to original sin".

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Bishop O'Donoghue, who has recently published a report on how to renew Catholicism in Britain, argued that mass education has led to "sickness in the Church and wider society". . . . . The bishop said that Catholic graduates had rejected the reforms made in the second council of the Vatican, which introduced fundamental changes in issues such as liturgy and doctrine.

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"The Second Vatican Council tends to be misinterpreted most by Catholics who have had a university education -- that is, by those most exposed to the intellectual and moral spirit of the age," he said. "These well-educated Catholics have gone on to occupy influential positions in education, the media, politics, and even the Church, where they have been able to spread their so-called loyal dissent, causing confusion and discord in the whole church."

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The bishop said that influential Catholics had set a bad example and corrupted the faith of those who had not gone to university. "This failure of leadership has exacerbated the even-greater problem of the mass departure from the Church of the working-class and poor," he said. "For example, the relentless diatribe in the popular media against Christianity has undermined the confidence of the ordinary faithful in the Church."

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Meanwhile, what are psychologists saying about the Nazi Pope's edict that seminary candidates must be screened for homosexual tendencies? Nothing good. Here are some highlights from the Los Angeles Times:

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[E]ven many Catholics will be horrified by the idea of the church employing psychologists to "out" prospective priests. Nor is it much comfort that the psychological scrutiny will be voluntary. What young man who feels called to the priesthood will feel free to object?

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[T]he role of psychologists in screening applicants raises troubling ethical questions, as even psychologists who approve of such cooperation admit. Aiding the church in weeding out homosexuals is hard to reconcile with these guidelines of the American Psychological Assn.:

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"Psychologists are aware of and respect cultural, individual and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language and socioeconomic status, and consider these factors when working with members of such groups. Psychologists try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on those factors, and they do not knowingly participate in or condone activities of others based upon such prejudices."

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If the church -- or a diocese within the church -- takes the Vatican decree literally, it's hard to see how a psychologist could lend his or her expertise to the thwarting of a young man's aspiration to serve God simply because he happens to be gay. In our view, that's not just cruel; it's unprofessional.

Catholic Anti-Gay Jihad Continues

The hypocrisy and official homophobia of the Roman Catholic Church truly knows no bounds and it's hard to decide which recent story I should start off with. I guess I will start with the one that too me demonstrates the most hypocrisy - yes, I know it's a tough call given the Church's phenomenal levels of hypocrisy. I'll start with the article captioned "Vatican Urges Psychological Tests on Future Priests." The immediate thought that comes to my mind is, shouldn't ALL current priests, bishops, cardinals and the Prada Pope also be required to undergo these psychological tests? I mean, if we want to allegedly protect children, let's test everyone. Oops, I forgot. Many of them would not pass - and the Vatican knows it. Of course, has the Vatican stopped to consider that it may end up with few or new priests if this is testing is done? Here are some story highlights:

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VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Candidates for the Catholic priesthood should undergo psychological tests to screen out heterosexuals unable to control their sexual urges and those with strong homosexual tendencies, the Vatican said on Thursday.

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Vatican officials told a news conference the tests would not be obligatory but decided on a case-by-case basis when seminary rectors wanted to be sure a man was qualfied for the priesthood. The testing by a psychologist or psychotherapist should aim to detect "grave immaturity" and imbalances in the candidates' personality.

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"Such areas of immaturity would include strong affective dependencies; notable lack of freedom in relations; excessive rigidity of character; lack of loyalty; uncertain sexual identity; deep-seated homosexual tendencies, etc. If this should be the case, the path of formation will have to be interrupted," it said.

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Further demonstrating the Church's obsession with gay sex is this article from the San Francisco Chronicle concerning a $200,000 contribution by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in support of "Yes on 8." As usual, rather than clean their own house of those who enabled and/or covered up the sexual abuse of children, the good bishops are sent into near orgasm at the thought of normal gays marrying and living their lives proudly out of the closet. Here are some highlights:

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Campaign finance records show the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has given $200,000 to back a Nov. 4 ballot initiative that would change the California Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. . . The Washington-based conference represents the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

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Along with leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and evangelical Christians, Catholic clergy and laity have been active participants in the coalition of religious groups working to pass the initiative. Donations totaling $1.4 million have made The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, the largest institutional donor to the Yes on 8 campaign.

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And then there's this article from the Los Angeles Daily News which looks in part at the Church's "ex-gay" program's efforts to "cure" gays so they can marry innocent straight women with the pretense that if men marry and have children, then they are "cured." It's utter bull shit, of course - as I know all too well from my own experiences - but then the Church for centuries hasn't cared what happens to women. Better that women enter into doomed marriages and have families fall apart rather than admit that homosexuality is normal and part of God's plan. Here are some highlights:

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While many Catholics are strictly following the church's strong support of Proposition 8, the controversial ballot measure is causing others to re-examine the church's stance. Most notable among them is the Rev. Geoffrey Farrow, a Fresno priest recently suspended after declaring his support for the No on 8 campaign and disclosing he is gay.

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The Rev. Maurice Harrigan of Holy Trinity Church near Glendale disagrees with clergy who speak against the Catholic Church's position on Proposition 8. "If Father Farrow is disagreeing with the teachings of the church, then he has no place being a priest," Harrigan said. "If you are contradicting what the church stands for, then don't be part of the church."

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Harrigan oversees the Los Angeles chapter of the Roman Catholic-based Courage support group, modeled after 12-step recovery programs, for men and women renouncing gay and lesbian lifestyles. If they continue to feel homosexual attraction, members receive help in living celibately.

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"In some cases, members finish the program and go on and marry members of the opposite sex and have children," Harrigan said. "As for the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, I do hope membersof the Catholic Church step up and vote."

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A lot of our pastors have simply chosen not to talk about it," said Farrow, who is considering writing a book about his experiences. "This is not a political issue or a civil-rights issue. It's a human issue. Families are torn apart. I would hope that the hierarchy (within the Catholic Church) looks at this issue. I know many nuns and priests would vote no on the proposition."

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One of the best things I ever have done is leave the Catholic Church. I think that if I had remain in the Church I'd feel dirty and tainted by the Church's hypocisy and false witness to Christ.