Catholic Priest Admits 14-Year Gay Marriage, Says Forced Celibacy Leads to Abuse
Tags
Related Posts
About the author
Father Bernard Lynch, a homosexual Catholic priest and activist known for defying Vatican teachings, has once again challenged the Roman Catholic Church by revealing that he has been married to a man for the past 14 years. Lynch also blames teachings on celibacy for the child sex abuse cases gripping the Catholic Church.
Roman Catholic doctrine calls on all priests to be celibate, but Lynch, who has served in the ministry for over 40 years and moved to London from New York in the 90s, revealed in his new book, If It Wasn’t Love: Sex, Death and God, that he is married and has been helping closeted gay priests in the English capital in his counseling program. He has also been marrying gay and lesbian couples in the church, despite Catholic doctrine prohibiting such a practice.
Explaining why he doesn’t support celibacy for all Catholic priests, Lynch shared in an interview for SiriusXM radio that he believes celibacy is a special gift that only a select few receive – and those on whom this ‘gift’ is forced are in danger of repressing their nature, which leads to the sexual abuse cases the Catholic Church has been been facing in recent times.
“The other point is that I do not believe celibacy can be mandated. I believe celibacy is a gift from God and it’s a very small minority of women and men who are gifted with this. They are such a small minority and to equate priesthood with that gift is an abuse of the priesthood. Most priests, straight or gay, do not have the gift of celibacy. They get twisted in their own psychosexual development,” Lynch suggested. [more]
SOURCE
Leave a Comment
Photo Archive
-
May 24, 2013 7:00
Historic vote to accept gays as Boy Scouts draws mixed faith response
-
May 24, 2013 6:55
Faith-Healing Churches linked to 2 dozen child deaths
-
May 24, 2013 6:51
Clergy campaign for indigent care
-
May 24, 2013 6:46
Five more come forward alleging abuse by Hawaii Catholic priests
-
May 23, 2013 1:58
Religious freedom reports see little improvement in troubling countries
-
May 23, 2013 1:43
LGBT Catholics find a new supporter: An openly gay priest
-
May 22, 2013 1:37
Tornadoes exact deadly toll; region needs ‘a lot of prayers right now’
-
May 22, 2013 1:32
State Dept. report says countries have repressed religious freedom with laws
-
May 22, 2013 1:23
2 lawsuits filed against Maine Catholic church
-
May 21, 2013 1:32
Church Whistle-Blowers Join Forces on Abuse
31 Comments
I am an atheist and I agree he joined the religion, decided to become a priest, so he should follow the rules.
I don’t understand people who join religions they don’t agree with. If you don’t believe in it, you don’t believe it and you’re not a Catholic (or what ever it is you are claiming to be). This man is a Protestant who using the label “Catholic” and should try to become a minister of a Protestant Church, one that has embraced homosexuality and doesn’t require celibacy such as the Unitarian Universalists instead.
No one holds a gun to anybody’s head to become a priest. There is no such thing as “forced” celebacy in the priesthood. He should have a good smack on that bald head of his!!!
If a man or woman feel called to ministerial priesthood, that’s one thing, and it is another to be called to celibacy
He knows the rules of the church and if he could not abide by those rules he should not have become a priest. I believe his actions are not right, and I also believe priest should be given the option of celibacy.
Fr. Bernard Lynch is a genuine/true disciple of Christ and speaks truth. His witness to Christs truth and compassion has and probably will further cost him dearly. People who deify the magestirium of the church and its teachings, orthodxy and blind obedience to these have missed the core of the teaching and example of Jesus Christ, in my opinion. The “obligation” of a vow of celibacy – gift to some, not to most
priests/religious as well as a history of oppression of homosexuals and suppression of the gift of sexuality (not to mention the oppression of women, seen as dangers to priestly celibates)..have all contributed enormously to the sexual abuse, emotional and physical abuse which has been widespread in the Roman Catholic Church for a long long time. Denial of this truth by the Vatican, the Pope and other well-intentioned Catholic leaders and laity – including pope Jim haha – results in scapegoating many good people and continuing the culture of fear, dishonesty and evasion at all levels of our church….in my humble opinion.
That hurt my feelings, Noel. Was that charitable?
Jim; The Truth is not always welcome, but nevertheless we Catholic Christians must continue to tell it.
Thank you for that encouragement, Marilyn. Truth be told, I was speaking tongue-in-cheek — I expect to be attacked by many people on this blog as well as in interpersonal interactions. I am no stranger to controversy. Nevertheless, thank you again for your encouragement.
Noel — after Jesus stopped people from stoning the woman, He said to her, “Is there no one here to condemn you? Then neither do I condemn you. But, GO AND SIN NO MORE.” That is what the Jesus that you are quoting said. How do you reconclie that with the theology of the church of Noel?
Don’t shoot the messenger.
One of the more ridiculous comments…”forced celibacy leads to abuse”. The vast majority of the abuse that occurred was due to homosexual activity. The problem was homosexuals who were unable to live chaste lives and abused adolescent boys.
It is not celibacy that leads to abuse, it is Sin…
abuse against women is far more than just a protestant crime, abuse should not be seen as only homosexuals
An honest man who will one day be considered a hero.
Any person who considers this man a hero is clearly not Catholic.
Perhaps not Catholic, but it sounds quite Christian.
This man is no hero. One day we are going to have to answer to God for all the things we have said, written and done while in this body. Please be careful my friends.
Thank you to the following Father Bernard Lynch, Roy Bourgeois, Gustavo Gutierrez, John the 23rd, the Boff brothers are the base communities of compassion and democracy in the heart of the Church.
The following is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Bourgeois:
“Father Bourgeois may be subject to excommunication (latae sententiae) for his participation in a women’s ordination ceremony in August 2008. The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a decree in May 2008 formally declaring that a woman who attempts to be ordained a Catholic priest and the persons attempting to ordain her are automatically excommunicated. He received a 30 days notice as of October 21, 2008 regarding possible excommunication.
On March 18, 2011, Fr. Bourgeois was given a letter from Fr. Edward M. Dougherty, Maryknoll’s Superior General, and Edward J. McGovern, the Secretary General. This warned him that he had 15 days to recant his support for women’s ordination or he would face expulsion from the Order. A formal request for his removal from the priesthood was sent to the Vatican on 29 March. 157 Catholic priests signed a letter that supports his priesthood and his right to conscience, which was delivered on 22 July to the Superior General.
Following his refusal to recant, the Order issued a second canonical warning, a final notice of pending removal from the Maryknoll Order, on 27 July.
The Vatican is currently in the process of defrocking and formally excommunicating Bourgeois.
Another heretical, errant priest, probably bound for Hell for an eternity. Hell is real folks, and it is FOREVER.
There seems to be two churches:
1. The Church that supported medieval authority, Franco in Spain and Mussolini in Italy and a return to a time when the Church was the problem.
2. Then there is Church of civil rights, democracy, speaking through the poor and disenfranchised. Accepting and celebrating the poor, the gays, women, the oppressed and the forgotten which is to empower the powerless in this life.
Actually, there are literally thousands of Christian churches — too numerous to count, and now many “non-denominational” Christian Churches. But, there is one true Church — and that is the Roman Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome, and led by the all-male hierarchy whose Magisterial teachings are infallible. Disagree with them at your own peril, possibly eternal peril.
I prefer the Catholic Church with the servant model that serves the people of God, the poor and the disenfranchised, gays, women the oppressed the forgotten and the voiceless and powerless. These are the people of Gos, of such is the kingdom of heaven.
So, since I am not gay or a woman, Warren, does that mean I am not included in the “people of God?” Also, Jesus told us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Those commandments include those related to using our sexuality in a Godly way.
Sure your included you may……In Christ the is no East or West, no North or Sourh no male or Female, I guess today his mindset would have expanded to include gays and lesbians and transgender people. We are all one in Christ Jesus
How hard it is for the rich (everyone assumes money but I am sure that people consider themselves rich in other ways – including judging others) to enter the Kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. So for all those who are so rich in righteousness, maybe you need to take care of your own issues before passing judgment aqnd gloating in the sinfullness of others.
Concerned — of course, you have passed judgment on me (but I guess that’s okay, right? Because by your reckoning I am wrong). I am not and have not judged anyone’s heart; but indeed, I have and will continue to judge behavior. Luke 17:3, Jesus speaking: “Rebuke your brother if he sins.” Also, never once have I gloated about anyone else’s sinfulness — and you can’t produce one scrap of evidence to support that criticism of me. So, you have passed judgment on me, Concerned, and with no evidence to boot! Take the plank out of thine own eye.
Hell is a state of being. Even the present pope described it that way in the volume he wrote on Eschatology of the Dogmatic Theology books. If one doesn’t “feel” or “believe” he is in hell in his heart, how can he end up in a “hellish” state of being after his departure from this world?
doesn’t sound like he is worried about a pink slip
Baloney! Nuff said.
Good luck, Father. But don’t be surprised if you get a pink slip in the mail!
If I was his superior, you can be certain that pink slip would be delivered by me personally, and today.