MadRat
Lifer
Monsignor Blames Gay Men for Scandal
By ELIZABETH LESURE
Associated Press Writer
April 22, 2002, 6:18 AM EDT
NEW YORK -- As Cardinal Edward Egan headed to the
Vatican for a summit on sexual abuse, his stand-in at
St. Patrick's Cathedral gave a homily blaming the
scandal on homosexuality and an "immoral country."
Monsignor Eugene Clark, an outspoken clergyman of
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, called
homosexuality a "disorder" and said gay men should
not be allowed to become priests, the Daily News
reported in Monday's editions.
"The tendency to homosexuality is a disorder, not a
sin," Clark said in his 15-minute sermon Sunday. "But
the practice of homosexuality is truly sinful."
Clark also said the United States is "probably the most
immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere"
and blamed American society for being "very
protective" of homosexuality.
Egan named Clark rector of St. Patrick's after taking over for Cardinal John
O'Connor more than one year ago.
Before leaving for Rome, Egan asked parishioners at a Bronx church to pray for
him and other American cardinals as they prepared to leave for Rome to address
the sex abuse scandal with the pope.
"Please keep us in your prayers these next four or five days," Egan told the
congregation at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Morrisania section.
He asked the congregation of about 150 people to "keep in your prayers the
meeting we're going to have in Rome. We're facing a very tragic situation. Our
Holy Father wishes to speak with us about this and we're anxious to hear what
he has to say."
Egan, the former bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., whose handling of sexual abuse
cases there has come under heavy criticism, did not directly address the
criticism against him.
Also Sunday, in a letter from Bishop Thomas Daily, parishioners in the Diocese
of Brooklyn were told that the names of 21 priests, stretching back some 20
years, were given to the district attorney's office of Brooklyn and Queens
counties.
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
Gee whiz, they just now figured out that homosexual men were in the hierarchy. Catholics have known it for years. Sometimes I think that the church hierarchy has collectively studied the ostrich family to fix these problems for the past 100 years. Every time there is a scandal it seems like most of the leadership sticks their head into the sand. 😛
Glad to see someone has spoken out against 1) the practice of homosexuality, 2) immorality in America (because it makes a difference IMO), and 3) practicing homosexuals in the church hierarchy. A Monsignor making this statement would have been quickly removed less than 6 months ago. This scandal may actually do some good for a change.
Nef-
I could link to the AP wire but they change the articles on there by mid-morning so the link would be short-lived. Most of these articles end up in your newspaper so perhaps it will be found there, too?
By ELIZABETH LESURE
Associated Press Writer
April 22, 2002, 6:18 AM EDT
NEW YORK -- As Cardinal Edward Egan headed to the
Vatican for a summit on sexual abuse, his stand-in at
St. Patrick's Cathedral gave a homily blaming the
scandal on homosexuality and an "immoral country."
Monsignor Eugene Clark, an outspoken clergyman of
the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, called
homosexuality a "disorder" and said gay men should
not be allowed to become priests, the Daily News
reported in Monday's editions.
"The tendency to homosexuality is a disorder, not a
sin," Clark said in his 15-minute sermon Sunday. "But
the practice of homosexuality is truly sinful."
Clark also said the United States is "probably the most
immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere"
and blamed American society for being "very
protective" of homosexuality.
Egan named Clark rector of St. Patrick's after taking over for Cardinal John
O'Connor more than one year ago.
Before leaving for Rome, Egan asked parishioners at a Bronx church to pray for
him and other American cardinals as they prepared to leave for Rome to address
the sex abuse scandal with the pope.
"Please keep us in your prayers these next four or five days," Egan told the
congregation at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Morrisania section.
He asked the congregation of about 150 people to "keep in your prayers the
meeting we're going to have in Rome. We're facing a very tragic situation. Our
Holy Father wishes to speak with us about this and we're anxious to hear what
he has to say."
Egan, the former bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., whose handling of sexual abuse
cases there has come under heavy criticism, did not directly address the
criticism against him.
Also Sunday, in a letter from Bishop Thomas Daily, parishioners in the Diocese
of Brooklyn were told that the names of 21 priests, stretching back some 20
years, were given to the district attorney's office of Brooklyn and Queens
counties.
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
Gee whiz, they just now figured out that homosexual men were in the hierarchy. Catholics have known it for years. Sometimes I think that the church hierarchy has collectively studied the ostrich family to fix these problems for the past 100 years. Every time there is a scandal it seems like most of the leadership sticks their head into the sand. 😛
Glad to see someone has spoken out against 1) the practice of homosexuality, 2) immorality in America (because it makes a difference IMO), and 3) practicing homosexuals in the church hierarchy. A Monsignor making this statement would have been quickly removed less than 6 months ago. This scandal may actually do some good for a change.
Nef-
I could link to the AP wire but they change the articles on there by mid-morning so the link would be short-lived. Most of these articles end up in your newspaper so perhaps it will be found there, too?
