Priests and Celibacy-What are your thoughts?
 

As I channel surfed this evening, I think CNN was going to discuss Priests and their vow of Celibacy. With the numerous cases of sexual abuse/molestation ALLEGEDLY at the hands of priests, should the RC church do away with this vow?
They have allowed priests to adopt children.

Good Topic
 

I think they should lift the ban. It really makes no sense if you examine the beliefs carefully. It is indeed a good theory, but not everyone who could be a great priest can abide by it. And should a good priest be passed up over this vow?

Being in Boston where everyday another priest is removed for child abuse, I think this vow should be lifted or at least seriuos investigated.

That being said, celibac or not, there is no reason for a priest to touch a child inapproriately.

Also, what are your views on how the Church and Cardinal Law are handling the situation?

I feel it's long over due and the Vow of Celibacy should be overturned. I personally do not believe in celibacy for Priests, Nuns or any other man/woman of the Lord. They should be allowed to marry. I don't recall the bible stating that a server of Christ should be celibate. However I can clearly recall reading "God made woman for man".

I have two cousins that were altar boys and our then priest fondled both of them. They were too ashamed to tell anyone until they were adults. I still get p@!#$d when I think about it. :mad:

Not Catholic, but will weigh in
 

It is past time to let priests marry, IMO. It may be a deterrent to sexually immature or confused individuals coming into the priesthood. I can't recall his name, but that argument was advanced by a Catholic theologian a few years ago.

I am a Protestant and my mother is a Pastor, however

I attended Catholic school, where I got my fair share of "religion" class and masses....

Clergy are called to be the leaders of the flock. It is not something they just wake up and decide to. They get the CALL from God and follow.

Who is to say someone can't get the Call once they have a ring?

Though, i do understand, even as stated in the Bible, how when you are single (clergy or no) you are better able to COMMIT YOUR WHOLE SELF to God, whereas with a wife/husband and family, you are giving [part of] yourself to them. (physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually...)

God should and would be first regardless, but you have family matters to concern you and are less likely to be able to pick up and go as God may call you.....

BUT......being that clergy are to be our "shepherds" and spiritual leaders....how can a priest help guide a Catholic couple in terms of marital counseling????

Just my take on it

RE: Cardinal Law
I feel as though that is something the Catholics here in Boston need to take a stand on and that the ordeal needs to be less of a "political" thing.

My prayers are with my sisters and brothers of the Catholic faith as they/we undergo a difficult time here.

Since I was born Catholic, I find it hard to knock the whole celibacy thing. Nevertheless, I refuse to believe that ever member of the clergy is "called" by God. Correct me if I am wrong, but a lot of times, this "call" as we refer to it is mostly an institutionalized means of keeping the priesthood stocked. I find it especially hard to believe that the priests involved in these latest scandals were "called" in any way. I know quite a lot of choirboys who were "led", rather than "called" to the priesthood. Sometimes, in some environments, enetering the priesthood is a career decision, as their is no other way to make it in a tough world. It isn't right, and it creates problems, but it happens. I guess I can say this now, from the outside looking in.
Now, to play devil's advocate, the behavior of these priests is extremely deviant, and can we really say that marriage would have prevented it? They did not go and have illicit relationships with women. They used their power to force themselves upon children, boys entrusted to their care. Thus, removing celibacy may not be the complete answer.
There is so much wrong with the church, and this is just a tip of the iceberg. Notice I said church as a generalized term, not just Catholicism. As a christian, I realize why people say what they do about hypocrites. The greatest crime here is the Papacy covering up the crimes for years, moving the priests around instead of dealing with them and having them arrested. Image is everything, and kids had to suffer a result. No amount of secret settlements will erase this.
Of course, a celibate-grounded priesthood isn't for everyone. Which is why I can yap about it so effectively! ;)

Priests and Celibacy!
 

This question kind of question hits home since a priest that my mother works for was just fired for accusations of child molestation. I believe that the vow of celibacy should be lifted so many clergy members of the cathloic religion will not have to come across any negative urges for sexual behavior.:o

Since you and I are in Boston, we are at the epicenter of this. Do you think that Cardinal Bernard Law should step down? After all, he admitted to transferring priests who had admitted to being pedophiles.

Also, to the room, I believe that Paul states, in ye ol' Good Book, that celibacy is indeed a great thing, but he admits that it is not for all. He suggests marriage to those that cannot control their "yearnings" (paraphrasing of course) so as not to commit any sins of fornication. Now, if he figured out long ago that celibacy was unnatural and indeed a "work in progress," how could the Catholic Church assume that they could suppress forever a feeling that is entirely natural? (For the record, pedophilia is NOT the natural feeling to which I was referring)

Good question, straightBOS. Answer, anyone?
Lemme put my two cents in about Cardinal Law. I am gonna make an "educated" guess as to what'll happen to him. Most likely, he'll be transferred, so that cycle of abuse may continue elsewhere. Step down? Hah! Yeah right! We are talking about one of the oldest political entities in the world. The key word is "cover-up". Like Denzel Washington in Training Day, the Papacy is like King Kong; those cats in Washington ain't got nothing on 'em!

Yes I feel Cardinal Bernard Law should step down, because transferring a pedophile is not the solution. It just moves the sick activity to another location. Which means more children in other areas are being abused!!!

Cardinal Law should step down
 

For the record, I am NOT Catholic, and as such, have no history or background for this post.

I was listening to a news program Monday (radio) and they were discussing the issue, because there is also a criminal case currently going on in the Bay Area where a priest (former) is on trial for allegedly raping several young women (14 years old) years ago.

At any rate, a caller (Catholic) stated that the celibacy rule is NOT original to the Church's formation. She stated that originally [I don't recall the date, but it was EARLY in the Church] clergy WERE allowed to marry, but that the Church [date forgotten by me] in Rome decided that because of ownership issues, Clergy were to be prohibited from marrying. Apparently (according to the caller), the Church felt it would be difficult to separate and define who owned what if there was marriage, whereas it would otherwise all go to the Church upon the Priest's death.

I'm sure that I've gotten everything all mixed up here, because frankly, I was only listening with three-fourths of an ear, but the net is that the requirement of celibacy may not be an original requirement for the Clergy, as say, belief in Christ would be. Maybe someone knows more/valid information about this part of the story? :confused:

The Goings on of the Catholic Church
 

As I was watching Today this morning, they were discussing the Easter holiday and how security is being tightened this weekend. Then they touched on the problems of the Pope. One being his illness but the other being is inability or unwillingness to discuss the issue of sex and the Catholic Church. It was stated how many priests are engaging in sex and some have even gotten married. But most of all, the scandels with priests molesting young boys, homosexuality and the like.

My questions to you all are, do you think the Catholic Church should change its beliefs and views about sex, marriage and their priests and nuns? Do you think that by doing this, the Church will "step into' the new century? How do you think the Pope should resond to these issues?

Being that there is and has been a serious problem with their priest having sex, marrying, and molesting young men/women, I believe that they should modify their views on marriage, etc., so that they their priests aren't held captive and so that the temptation to do such things is decreased. The Pope needs to step out and confront this issue, even if he is guilty of it himself. He needs to set a decree that is expected to be followed and get rid of those who have violated, are currently violating, and those who may violate.

I heard yesterday that the Pope alluded to this issue in his Holy Week presentation. So, since he alluded to this, does that mean he is acknowledging that there is a problem?

If so, what is the solution?

Re: Priests and Celibacy!
 

I don't really have an opinion on the topic of the thread, but I did want to respond to this. Lifting the vow of celibacy may not stop a single thing. I somehow doubt it. There are pedophiles who are married. They can (an assumption) get the nookie on the regular. But their FETISH is children. Regardless if they were able to have sex, they'd still have the same fetish (is that spelled right? it looks funny).

Sorry to jump on this board, but being Catholic, I felt like I needed to add my $.02!! :)

First of all, I think something is being overlooked here. I really don't think it's the vow of celibacy that drive these men to molestation, etc.
Obviously, something is wrong with a person's head if they're going to act like this. I do think it's unfortunate that these priests act in this way.

But something I'd like to point out: ALL KINDS of people, NOT JUST CERTAIN PRIESTS, are involved in this type of action. It is sad that it happens. It is unfortunate. And, I understand that since these men ARE priests, the media is going to highlight it. What they don't highlight is the majority of priests DON'T do this and they are GREAT men. I personally know this, being raised Catholic. I went to Catholic school my whole life and have great relationships with the priests at my church.
Something to also remember is that just bc a man is a priest he is HUMAN and makes mistakes.

But the problem is the PERSON commiting the act, not the vow of celibacy itself.

The thread didn't "die"...LOL
 

Evidently something is wrong with ALL of these people who happen to be priests, where over 20+ years (give or take) who have committed these crimes. Is it that these sickos exclusively decide that they want to become priests? Is it a strategic plan to get "nookie"? It's not like it is an isolated event, it's like its a "sacered oath" or something? :confused:

:confused:

Right, these people are human. That's the same thing that has been said regarding Jesse Jackson and his escapade and other notable ministers of the cloth or notable people in general. I don't know what these people do in private, I'd never say what my minister does or doesn't do( actually I've heard about his past or present :confused: ), anyway. The way the world is today, who knows? :confused:

The celibacy rule was not instituted until a 1000 years into Catholicism. As SHELACIOUS was trying to say, priests were no longer allowed to marry because there were disputes over who inherited their property at death, the family or the Catholic church. Because priests were the richest and most powerful in their communities, nepotism became a problem. There is no real religious basis for celibacy and either in first or 2nd Timothy, Paul lays out instructions that the bishops and deacons of the congregations be married men because they are more stable and less prone to sexual indiscretion and offer a model for the parishoners.

Secondly, there would be less pedophile priests if the celibacy restrictions were removed. Qualified people would fill those positions that are currently occupied by the deviants. A pedophile is a pedophile regardless of marital status, but at least they would be fired instead of tranferred because there would no longer be a shortage of priests as there is now.

Re: Priests and Celibacy-What are your thoughts?
 

I think celibacy is the least of the Catholic Church's worries. They need to concern themselves with looking into why the numerous sexual abuse cases were swept under the rug. If celibacy were an issue, why is it that these priest weren't having adult intimate relationships. If they were knowing that it was against their practice then I would say emphatically YES. Right now the coverups need to be addressed and the process in which these priests are brought in needs to be looked at as well because obviously somebody is missing something along the way.

I think the ban should be lifted, but not because of the molesting taking place. i think that a child molester is a child molester...being a celebate priest does not bring those tendancies out in someone. They are sick...and they would be doing it regardless of their occupation or marital status.

IMO
 

As a student in a boston area catholic university, i see how the role of celibacy and the catholic church affects the priests who live and work with us. It is a reason why many more people who are "called" by God decide to share their spiritual gifts in other ways to avoid not having a family. To me, (a non-catholic) celibacy needs to go. It inhibits human emotions and puts an unnecessary stress on people. It is right to point out that those who molest children are sick. There's no doubt about it. But to be put in a situation where men are the only visible companion, seems to me to lead towards certain inclinations. This is not an excuse or explanation of the actions of certain priests. Simply my interpretation.

I really dont have an opinion on Cardinal Law. Although there's a rumor going around that the catholic archdiosese of boston may not be able to pay all the law suits and want to sell their offices and seminary. This would be devastating to their authority in Boston. So they need to evaluate ways to pay the victims without losing everything they have.

Ok here goes,

At first I was going to leave this thread alone and just make it one of the many that I don't respond to...but...as you see something has made me change my mind. What made me change...a local priest in my area where one of my friends has a 7 year old son at the catholic school where a priest was just removed from his post for molesting a boy now man back in the early 70's.

I know that growing up going to a catholic school and being catholic myself I have thought on many occassions that a certain priest at my grade school was molesting the alter boys, but being young I just let it slide. Once I got to high school and this priest was also a priest at my high school I once again thought it. I do wonder where this priest is now, and I search the paper everyday looking for his name to see if someone man has outed him or not.

I didn't attend mass today being Easter well because I just couldn't. Also I feel that priest nor nuns should have to take a vow of celibacy. Men and Women were put on this earth to pro-create correct...well how can that be done if people have a vow of celibacy? I agree with Ideal08 in that lifting the celibacy rule won't change a person from being a pedophile, but I do believe that if the rule is lifting then you may find that more people may want to become a priest or a nun. I say this becuase back in the summer of last year commercials use to run all the time showing that men were needed to enter the seminary to become a priest. that said to me that the numbers were/are down. I think the same for the different orders of nunship...(I know that's not a word...but you know what I mean:)) Something else I think is priest don't become pedophiles....pedophiles become priest!!

Just my thoughts and opinions

Re: Priests and Celibacy-What are your thoughts?
 

If the Roman Chatholic Church does away with requiring a vow of celibacy, it should not be solely based on the current scandal. I think it needs to be based on a lot more than the issues at hand.

For the record, I am not Catholic. I am Hindu. My friends do joke that I am "Catholic by association" - due to the fact that most of my close friends are Catholic, my fiance is Catholic, and my parents attended parochial school (for my mother, college as well).

I am Not Catholic but I think celibacy should be an option not requirement. Sex is very important. I not a doctor either but I feel like sex is a human need. No, it 's not needed as much as food or water but it is a need. I think we all need to feel physical contact with other people.

I hope I didn't offend anyone religious beliefs or was too graphic.:D

Do the common sense thang...
 

fix the problem by allowing all of those men to marry, and keep their wives with them.

I am not Cathlic but I did go to Catholic school. I do think the celibacy vow should be lifted. However, it should notbe lifted because it would cut down on molestation but because God never "said" preists and nuns had to be celibate forever. Sexuality is a gift given to us by God. God would not have given it to us if He meant for it to be restricted in the way that celibate Catholic clergy must. As DoggyStyle82 pointed out, celibacy was a tool of the church for property definition. That makes the celibacy vow even more ridiculous to me. Although, from the Church's stand point, how can they repeal a vow that has been in place for hundreds of years? If that's what their faith dictates to them then they cannot turn away from it in a tumultuous time. At any rate, I think it does need to be lifted and this scandal could act as the catalyst for some serious consideration of the celibacy vow.

Here's an article that I agree with. The scandles that we are hearing about are crimes against male children. I don't think lifting the ban on celebacy will change the behavior.

Crosswalk.com News Channel - I've been reluctant to comment on the scandals involving allegations of sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests. I thought it might seem inappropriate or unseemly for me, a Southern Baptist layman, to talk about the serious internal problems of the Catholic Church.
But as I read the press coverage of the story and observe the spin being put on it by today's columnists and reporters, I can't resist one observation: The press is missing the real story, and Christians need to hear it.

Both the accusations and the magnitude of the scandals are mind-boggling. More than 50 priests have been accused of having sexual relations with under-aged boys. Catholic dioceses have paid tens of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits brought by the victims of sexual misconduct.

Shortly after reports of the scandal hit the national press, a consensus formed among the prestige media as to its cause: celibacy. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times summed up the consensus: "The vow of celibacy serves as a magnet for men running away from sexual feelings they are ashamed of." She added that "the allegedly celibate society these men enter ... retards their sexual development, funneling their impulses in inappropriate directions."

In essence, Dowd, and the people who agree with her, are saying that not acting on your sexual impulses will warp your personality. This is misleading nonsense.

Celibacy is not the problem. The problem in the Catholic Church is a homosexual problem. In a recent article in the National Review, Rod Dreher writes that the pedophilia scandal "cannot be understood and honestly dealt with" without taking the homosexuality of the accused priests into account.

As Dreher writes, "What we're seeing is gay men who cannot or will not keep their pants up around teenage boys. Not teenage girls. Teenage boys." Even the pro-homosexual book, The Gay Report, noted that 73 percent of gay men have had sex with teenage boys.

This is why changing the rules on celibacy would have no effect. As Bill Bennett has pointed out, such a change will do nothing about a man's sexual interest in other men...
What's needed, as Bennett and Dreher point out, is a systematic examination of the way the Catholic Church selects and trains priests. Dreher writes about a "lavender mafia" within the church that perpetuates a gay subculture, and that's what must be rooted out.

Of course, this will prompt cries of "bigotry" from the very same people who are distorting the issues today. We need to help people understand that it isn't discrimination to hold people to their vows and to uphold the virtue of chastity. We need to remind all Christians that we're all called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. To say Christians can't be taught to live that way is the worst bigotry of all.

Copyright 2002 Prison Fellowship Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

Man strikes back
 

From the Associated Press:

Police: Alleged Victim Shoots Priest
Tue May 14,12:09 PM ET
By GRETCHEN PARKER, Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) - A priest was shot and seriously wounded by a man who had accused him of abuse years ago, authorities said Tuesday.
Dante Stokes, 26, surrendered Monday night, saying he had shot the Rev. Maurice Blackwell, police spokeswoman Ragina Averella said.
Blackwell was in serious but stable condition Tuesday at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
Blackwell was shot about 6 p.m. Monday outside his home.
Witnesses told police Stokes tried to talk to Blackwell before the shooting, Averella said. Police said Stokes shot the priest with a handgun.
Blackwell is on a leave of absence from the Archdiocese of Baltimore because the church found in 1998 he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor, said Ray Kempisty, a spokesman for the archdiocese.
Averella said Stokes told police he had been molested by Blackwell nine years ago. Kempisty said there had been a 1993 allegation against Blackwell but he was returned to priestly duties when police dropped the case. It was not immediately clear if that case was the allegation Stokes had mentioned.

I'm not Catholic... I was raised in a Protestant denomination, Presbyterian... But I have found a connection to my ancestorial Afrikan Spirits--some are the Watoto...

IMHO :o, it seems the Church is suffering a severe Spiritual nervous Breakdown and Bankruptcy... All of us need to pray right now... The Devil goes to church too :mad:, and he knows the Bible better than anyone assembled here:eek:!!! He is twisting the Word of God, alienating Priests from Christ and still trying to bring the fall of Heaven... He has make the "children" (now grown) become displeased with their One true Father... That is what I find so sad to me :(

But it may take some us from the positive energy in the Universe--Shiva/Shakti, Yin/Yang and Ausar/Auset to reinvigorate the Catholic Church and Vatican... If you all don't think so, they why did those Priests from the Church of the Nativity house those Islamic fighters for so long??? :confused:

God still reigns Supreme... God has His ways and His plan as His will... We mere mortals may not come to realize the full fruition of God's design until we have lost all...

But what do I know? I never gotten the Call... But know I'm Blessed...

TICKLEDPINK:

To follow up on that article, if you can get the transcript of Meet The Press from 2 weeks ago, this point was made clear by two Bishops to the moderator Tim Russert. One bishop admitted that at least 30 to 50 percent of Catholic priests are homosexual. When Tim Russert asked him if this was the problem, he said tha he "did not see a problem with having gay priests, they just need to honor their celibacy vows". I was astonished. This was a bishop who was at the meeting in Rome. WTFH? The reason the Pope took no action was because he would have to eliminate a great deal of hi s proesthood to fix the problem. Why not just do the right thing and let married priests lead your congregations.

Well...
 

The Catholic Church prides itself on being ABSOLUTELY correct (for better or worse). To change what has now become almost synonymous with Catholic priesthood would mean that the Church got it wrong.

Even at the convention, the priests said there would be no zero tolerance (WTF?). Saying in part that if a DRUNK (!?) priest was involved with "an older minor" (!?) in an inapproriate way he did not deserve to be immediately removed. Um, okay....

Think of the children...

Priest Suicide
 

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - In the latest tragic turn in the abuse scandal that has embroiled the Roman Catholic church, a priest was found hanged at a psychiatric hospital less than three weeks after resigning from his parish amid allegations of sexual abuse.


:(

The Catholic church's problem is not the vow of celibacy (which I don't agree with either) it is their views of sex. Being educated in Catholic schools most of my life it was drummed into our heads that sex is something that a man a woman does only and only for the purposes of procreation.:confused: It is amazing that their stance on homosexuality is so rigid when may in the church have admitted that a good number of priests are gay.

What the Catholic Church should be responsible for is getting their so-called "shepherds of the flock" help, not pay off these people hush money! Or just move the offending priests to another parish. If an accusation of "inappropriate" sexual conduct could ruin a teacher's (or just about anyones career), why shouldn't it be the same for priests?

Re: Well...
 

I absoulty agree. the Catholic Church is a powerful force. They hold much clout not only in religion but also in politics. I recieved a catholic education from the time I was in 3rd grade. They never thought you to question what you heard only to hear it and take it as truth. If the church (or the Pope acutally) wre to change the doctrine and say priests could get married that would add a lot of fire to the controversy. It would almost have the chuch saying, yeah we wre wrong so we made a few changes.

I feel as though removing the vow of celibacy is not gonna solve the problem. It's true that there have been some molestation cases involving priest and young girls, but the majority of the cases have involved priest molesting altar "boys". This leads me to believe, like someone else stated, that there is a large number of gay men in the priesthood. That right there is a whole separate issue. I feel that some join the priesthood not just because they were called by God, but because they feel that the vow of celibacy will help them stay "straight". Not gonna happen. Priest are still HUMAN like others have stated, and sometimes man's carnal nature takes over against his/her better judgment. I totally believe the Roman Catholic church knows this, that's why they are tight-lipped. They have enacted the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. For to put a ban on gay priest would result in civil lawsuits, and they would probably lose a small percentage of their membership.

Strange priest news
 

Not exactly related to celibacy, but...

Vatican Excommunicates Seven Women 'Priests'
Mon Aug 5, 8:24 AM ET

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Reinforcing its opposition to female priests, the Vatican ( news - web sites) said Monday it had excommunicated seven women, including a nun, who were ordained in June in a ceremony on a boat in Austria.


An Argentine bishop, not recognized by the Holy See, ordained the Austrian, German and U.S. women in a ceremony, witnessed by 300 people.

This prompted a warning from the Vatican last month, giving the women 12 days to repent.

"Because the women ... did not give any indication of amendment or repentance for the most serious offence they had committed...they have incurred excommunication," Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a papal right-hand man, said in a press release from the Vatican.

He had earlier branded the ordination "an affront to the dignity of women," saying women had a specific role in the church which was distinctive and irreplaceable.

The Vatican has ordered priests to assemble again. What are your thoughts about their plans?
It has been reported that a victim cannot bring charges forth after the age of 28. Also, there could be a statue of limitations set, if the measures pass.


UPDATE:
Bishops Approve Sex Abuse Policy
1 hour, 47 minutes ago
By RICHARD N. OSTLING, AP Religion Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's Roman Catholic bishops adopted revisions to their sex abuse policy Wednesday that aim to satisfy Vatican (news - web sites) concerns about the rights of accused priests while keeping molesters away from children.



The bishops voted 246-7 with six abstentions to approve the new plan, which stipulates that priests should be removed from public ministry — saying Mass, teaching in Catholic schools, wearing a Roman collar — after "even one act of sexual abuse of a minor."


The policy is virtually assured of becoming church law, binding on all U.S. bishops, after a final Vatican review. Negotiators from the Holy See and United States reworked the policy at the Vatican's insistence after officials in Rome became worried that Americans weren't doing enough to ensure due process for priests.


The bishops, anxious to get past a year of scandal, insist the plan shows they are deeply committed to reform. Victims say it is a major step backward from the original policy.


Chicago Cardinal Francis George, who worked on the revisions, said they balance compassion for victims with fairness to priests.


"We are sometimes asked to choose between the accuser and the accused," he said during the debate before the vote. "We cannot choose one or the other. We have to choose both. We have to love both."


But victims were not satisfied. They said the plan continues the church's history of sheltering sexual predators and abandoning the people they prey on.


"The gulf between bishops and the victims and lay people in the church has grown wider by the vote today," said Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "Today there's a broader burden on the victims."


The policy allows bishops to conduct a confidential, preliminary inquiry when a molestation claim is made to determine whether it is plausible. If it is, the priest is to be put on leave and go before a clerical tribunal.


Bishops are compelled to obey local civil laws when it comes to reporting abuse claims, but no more than that. The church leaders, however, pledged to report all claims involving children to civil authorities.


The bishops' vote follows 10 months in which at least 325 of the nation's 46,000 priests have resigned or been removed from their posts because of accusations of sex abuse, with cases dating back years or even decades.

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed this year against dioceses all over the country, and thousands of angry Catholic parishioners have joined reform movements.

At a meeting last June in Dallas, the bishops responded to the public outcry by approving their original policy to crack down on molesters. It stressed bishops' authority to pull priests out of their jobs as soon as an alleged victim made a claim.

That worried Vatican officials, who said the U.S. bishops weren't following global church mandates on protecting the rights of priests. The Holy See withheld its approval of the policy — needed to make it U.S. church law — until the plan was reworked. The joint Vatican-American commission handled the revisions in two days of meetings.

A senior Vatican official said Wednesday that he hadn't seen the document approved by the U.S. bishops, but presumed it was still in line with the changes negotiators agreed upon last month and would win quick approval from the Holy See.

"The climate here is favorable," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The new policy also spells out that the church's statute of limitations requires a victim to come forward by age 28, though bishops can still ask the Vatican for a waiver in special cases.

Review boards including lay people will continue to monitor abuse claims, but the policy reasserts that it is the bishops who have the authority to manage clergy.

Bishop Gerald Gettlefinger of Evansville, Ind., was among the few prelates who said he was opposed to the policy. He was upset that it does not allow bishops discretion to reinstate a priest who had only one offense and had rehabilitated.

George was firm on that point. "I think we have lost that discretionary authority," he said.

The crisis started with revelations last January that Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law knowingly reassigned a priest who had been accused of abuse and quickly spread to other dioceses.

Law, who has taken more criticism than any other bishop this year, said he was voting for the revisions.

"We have a lot of challenges. Our work isn't done," he said. "But thank God we are where we are today. We're in a much better place than we were 10 months ago."

_

As an Anglo-Catholic ( Episcopalian) I can understand first hand what it is like to have all catholic traditions, rituals etc. but be under the church of england, not the Pope (Henry VIII made his own Catholic Church so he could get a divorce) and allow priests to marry. It seems as though it would help the problem not because if you dont get married you feel the need to take out your sexual urges on boys...that is just sickness and nothing could save that, but like someone said earlier, many people, parents, dioceses, religious orders etc. use the church as a place to put men who were either gay (then they wouldnt be able to act on their sexual urges) who seemed to have sexual problems, (hoping that a full dedication of their life to god would help because once again a ban on sex completely) and men who were sexual addicts (once again if they dedicate their life to the lord, it would change). They do this because the vow of celebacy hides their sexual indiscretions from the world. The church is not the place to hide people or save those who have problems and a lift of the ban might change that

Re: Strange priest news
 

Sorry to invade your forum but this is something that really pisses me off. Apparently it's acceptable to leaders such as Cardinal Law to keep repeat sex offenders in the Catholic clergy but once a WOMAN is ordained, they are excommunicated.

Luckily there is a group in Boston standing up to Cardinal Law. I think they're called "the voices of the faithful" and they are raising money in order to help Catholic carities that are suffering because of the money going to settle lawsuits. Sadly though, Cardinal Law refuses to allow Catholic charities to take this money because it is a threat to his power.