Thursday, December 01, 2005
FR. HARVEY DISCUSSES "THE DOCUMENT"
at Zenit:
NEW YORK, NOV. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The new Vatican instruction on the priesthood and those with homosexual tendencies was exactly the clarification the Church needed, says one expert in the treatment of same-sex attractions.
Father John Harvey, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, is director of Courage International, a support group for men and women with same-sex attractions who wish to live chastely according to Church teachings.
He shared his views of the new document with ZENIT.
Q: What is your impression of the new Vatican document on seminaries and those with homosexual tendencies?
Father Harvey: I think it is very good because it does not try to answer every question -- it tells you from the beginning that it will not. I think it is refreshing. It simply sets down norms for bishops, rectors and people in seminary work.
I think it is wise to put the responsibility on bishops and rectors to understand this issue and to make decisions about individual seminarians. I think this is a good thing instead of answering every question.
It is clear of two types they do not want: those are actively engaged in a homosexual lifestyle and those who push the gay agenda, that "gay is good." People with that view should not be in seminary.
The document rightly mentions that some distinctions should be made between people with deep-seated homosexual tendencies and people with transitory same-sex attractions. It is correct in that some homosexual tendencies may be a symptom of a problem of delayed adolescence.
Q: Did anything surprise you about the document? Or was it as you expected?
Father Harvey: I was not sure what we would get. I cannot really say what I was expecting; I was just hoping it would not be a big universal statement like "Anyone with same-sex attractions is automatically eliminated." It does not say that and allows that there are a lot of distinctions to be made.
I was surprised by the moderation of the document. It did not touch on every situation and left a lot to discretion of theologians and psychologists. I was delighted with it.
Continue reading...
Fr. Harvey's responses do indicate that he believes an allowance has been made for homosexual seminarians, although they must be celibate and not be supporters of the gay agenda. He seems to see the same gray area that USCCB President Bishop Skylstad spoke about.
In the eyes of some, homosexuality has been granted a window of opportunity in the priesthood.
What will prevent a seminarian from changing his lifestyle once he has been ordained? To my mind nothing at all. Which means that once again the laity must recognize that their children are in danger when they are in a position of isolation with a priest.
What will be done if it is discovered that a priest is living an active homosexual life? There is nothing in the document to even begin to address this.
With this sort of spin coming from the President of the USCCB and now from Fr. Harvey, will more fall in line behind them?
I am very much afraid nothing is going to change in the seminaries, especially if the rector has embraced a homosexual lifestyle, though it may be kept under cover for a while. I might even go so far as to say that so long as we have homosexual bishops we will have homosexual seminarians.
Or in other words, at least in some dioceses, business as usual.
