Show IN THE NATION Pope expected to ban ordination of Gay Priests Carol Eisenberg Pope Benedict XVI is said to have approved a document saying that homosexual ual men should not be ordained as Roman Catholic priests a conservative Catholic Web site has reported The long-anticipated long document prepared prepared prepared pre pre- pared at the request of the late Pope JohnPaul JohnPaul John JohnPaul Paul II H reportedly calls on bishops to bar even chaste homosexuals from seminaries because their orientation is rooted in a personality personality per per- personality disorder that may undermine their capacity to minister according to Catholic World News l t The Thel report report r Ii jolted d' d Monday okI J ww v com om I pan an independent news news' service with links to the popes pope's American publisher could not be independently corroborated corroborated corroborated cor cor- but several Vatican sources confirmed confirmed con con- firmed finned that such a document has been on his desk awaiting his decision If this is true its it's a disaster said a gay priest who asked not to be named I I know many celibate gay priests who feel they could not live with any integrity in hi a church that treats gay men like this And I know many gay seminarians who have been living living living liv liv- ing celibate lives with ease who would simply leave While the document does not represent any change in church teaching it is expected expect expect- ed to have a significant impact on American seminaries because it flies in the face of the de facto policy of dont ask dont don't tell in most of them For that reason many conservatives hail it as a tough get-tough policy that is a badly needed corrective Others however say they fear it will drive some gay seminarians deeper into the closet clos clos- et even as it diminishes a declining pool of seminarians I believe it would have a strong impact but Im I'm afraid it would be negative said the Rev Donald Cozzens a former fonner seminary seminary seminary semi semi- nary rector who wrote a book several years ago describing how the priesthood is or oris oris oris is becoming a gay profession The number of seminarians is already dramatically down from 40 years ago Cozzens Cozzens' said This may make the situation situation situation situa situa- tion even more dire than it already is And Im I'm also concerned that it might drive out men who might be destined to give very fine service to the church |