Catholicism and Human Dignity

A Jesuit priest urges his fellow Catholics to celebrate the repeal of DADT, since it "says nothing about gay marriage (nor would it have been approved by lawmakers if it had), since it does not contradict church teaching on that matter, and since it takes a strong stance against 'unjust discrimination' against gays and lesbians, as the Catechism encourages[.]"

Very welcome words.  While the author is absolutely right about the spirit and the letter of the Catechism, he is distressingly at odds with the thinking of the Church grandées.  While the Catechism says that gays "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," the Church itself shows little of any of this to gays.

Indeed, the Church's recent decision that gays - and even those who "support homosexual culture" without themselves being gay - should not be permitted to become priests is the ecclesiastical equivalent of DADT.  Actually, it's worse the DADT, and more akin to the outright ban that DADT replaced.  Aside from the unequivocal ban, the Church's proclamation states that, "if a candidate practices homosexuality, or presents deep-seated homosexual tendencies, his spiritual director as well as his confessor have the duty to dissuade him in conscience from proceeding towards ordination."

Critics "have long objected that gay seminarians might feel they have no choice but to lie about their sexual orientation," and there can be no doubt that the consequence of the Church's hostile approach is to force devout gay Catholics who wish to join the priesthood to face an Inquisition if they pursue that dream.  Shrugging off the blame for the witchhunt they themselves create, the Church's lawgivers state, with sublime callousness, that "[i]t would be gravely dishonest for a candidate to hide his own homosexuality[.]"

More roadblocks, more unseemly inquiry, more humiliation, more degradation.  Do ask, do tell - and then reject.

Anglican Church - woo me.