Subtext to Bishops' Same-Sex Marriage Decision

Looks like a done deal today that the bishops attending the U.S. Conference of Bishops meeting in Washington D.C. will approve a document that condemns same-sex marriage. See complete article.

Seems an obvious decision, until you remember the church's history of homosexual priests. It's been pretty well-reported in the mainstream press that between 25 and 50 percent of all Roman Catholic priests are gay. (And gay does not equal pedophile.) Psychotherapist and retired priest, Richard Sipe, is often quoted by the maintream press because he has spent the last 40 years researching and writing about the sexual habits of Catholic clergy. This does not mean that all gay priests act upon their sexuality. Just as heterosexual priests can choose celibacy, so can gay priests. It does mean, however, that those gay priests who have formed intimate relationships with other men probably understand better than most the reasons for desiring same-sex marriages.

The Vatican, instead of addressing this topic directly, declared last year that gay men should be excluded from the priesthood entirely.

Yet if this is done, it could exclude as many as half of all priest candidates, adding to an even worse priest shortage.

So you see why this issue is cloudy.