Sunday, December 21, 2003

Toxica Popa

When Priests Attack!

Nearly two dozen Chicago area priests in an open letter have denounced the Vatican's anti-gay rhetoric, calling it "vile and toxic".

Saying they can no longer remain silent, the priests from parishes in both the city of Chicago and the suburbs the priests said the Church is being "divisive and exclusionary" and "increasingly violent and abusive."

It is the first mass revolt in the Catholic Church by clergy over the issues of gay priests and same-sex marriage.

"As priests and pastors we are speaking out to make clear that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters are all members of God's family, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus and deserving of the same dignity and respect owed any human being," the letter stated.

I'm not a Catholic, but as an outsider I find it puzzling that their anti-gay rhetoric is stronger than their anti-adultery and anti-divorce rhetoric. There's much more support for the latter two in scripture.

More broadly, I don't get why sex sins seem to have been elevated above all others.