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What was he thinking? Catholic World News (CWN)
Feature Stories
The case for canonical discipline of Archbishop Weakland (Subscribe to RSS Feed)
Jun. 17, 2009 (CWNews.com) -
In a strongly worded editorial that appears in the July edition of Catholic World Report, the monthly magazine's editor, George Neumayr, expresses shock and dismay that a retired American prelate is openly questioning Church teaching on homosexuality.
In his new autobiography, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church, Archbishop Rembert Weakland acknowledges his own homosexual affairs, Neumayr notes. The archbishop resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that he has given $450,000 in archdiocesan funds to silence a young man who complained that the archbishop had exploited him; today he has the temerity to suggest that it is the Church's failure to accept homosexuality, rather than his own moral weakness, that made the blackmail possible. Moreover, in a recent interview with the New York Times, the retired Archbishop of Milwaukee suggests that the Church should give its approval to the "physical, genital expression" of same-sex partners. Neumayr remarks:
Weakland gave this interview to the Times, by the way, from the “Archbishop Weakland Center*, which houses the archdiocesan cathedral offices in downtown Milwaukee.” This small snapshot of episcopal decadence—an openly “gay” bishop spouting heresy while sitting in a diocesan office still named in his honor—would be amusing if it weren’t so sad and scandalous.
Rather than continuing to show collegial deference to their retired colleague, Neumayr argues, the Church hierarchy should "end this disgusting farce and suspend Weakland's faculties."
The notion that an archbishop could be subject to public discipline is an unfamiliar one. But disciplinary action against a prelate is neither unprecedented nor unhealthy. Quite the contrary, when an archbishop voices open dissent from Church teaching on a highly contentious issue, the enormous influence that he wields makes him a special threat to the integrity of the faith. How can ordinary lay Catholics be expected to uphold the Church's stand on the immorality of homosexual acts, if such a prominent Catholic leader is voicing opposite opinions? So canon lawyer Edward Peters asks "what, if anything, will Rome finally do to vindicate the faithful against the appalling and on-going scandal of Abp. Rembert Weakland?"
If the Vatican does choose to take action, Peters points out, there is plenty of warrant for disciplinary measures under the Code of Canon Law. Canons 1369 calls for action against anyone who uses "published writings… to gravely injure good morals." If a retired prelate writes sympathetically about homosexual acts-- even disclosing that he himself engaged in those acts, and now feels the Church should accept them-- he is certainly threatening good morals. "That Weakland is an archbishop," Peters observes, "should not shield him from canonical investigation and punishment, but rather serves to underscore the need for his correction."
[*- Editor's note: The building is actually the Archbishop Cousins Center.]
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Za myr z'wysot ... Member
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Bob,
The real problem is that the RCC is now afraid to speak against anything wearing the banner of "science."
The accepted "scientific" opinion, since about 1970, has been that sexual orientation is something that is inborn--thus, if there is a God, He obviously makes some people homosexual. This is now accepted as irrefutable scientific fact in nearly all academic circles. Based on this, there are many within the RCC--lay and clergy alike--who really believe that it is inevitable that the Church will recognize this "fact" and adjust her teaching accordingly.
Thus, it remains to be seen how the whole "gay" drama (of which Abp. Weakland is just a small part) will play out.
Peace,
Deacon Richard
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Don't forget that Abp. Weakland was a great innovator in the liturgical movement that swept the RC Church. Lex orandi, lex credendi cuts both ways!
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If this is true: "The accepted "scientific" opinion, since about 1970, has been that sexual orientation is something that is inborn--thus, if there is a God, He obviously makes some people homosexual", does that imply that infidelity in marriage is also "inborn"? Does God make some people unable to be chaste or faithful to marital commitment? Are some people also made porn, gambling or alcohol addicts by God?
What utter nonsense.
Silouan, monk
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That people are born with disorders is a fact of our fallen world. I do belive that some are bron with disordered sexual inclinations. That does not give them the right to act upon them nor give the Church the right to sanction them. It saddens me greatly that my relation is walking the path to excommunication.
Fr. Deacon Lance Weakland
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The real problem is that the RCC is now afraid to speak against anything wearing the banner of "science." Deacon Richard: Christ is in our midst!! Couldn't agree with you more strongly. Problem is that the "research" hasn't been able to be proven and one of the "studies" done during the Reagan years was done by a man known to be a homosexual activist and advocate. To my mind the problem goes back to the commandment concerning sexual activity. We focus on the letter of "adultery," but don't focus on any and all sexual activity outside of a committed marriage. Should it be rephrased to include "Thou shalt not be involved in sexual impurity"? Or how about "Thou shalt not be involved in sexual activity outside of marriage"? Abp Weakland comes from a small town near here, was in the Benedictine community at St. Vincent's in Latrobe, and was even Abbot Primate of the whole Benedictine Order in Rome. As such his audience is very wide and the damage he does by word and deed is vast. And this "science" of this oreintation being inborn seems to be a bit off when people can be reoriented. BOB
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If this is true: "The accepted "scientific" opinion, since about 1970, has been that sexual orientation is something that is inborn--thus, if there is a God, He obviously makes some people homosexual", does that imply that infidelity in marriage is also "inborn"? Does God make some people unable to be chaste or faithful to marital commitment? Are some people also made porn, gambling or alcohol addicts by God?
What utter nonsense.
Silouan, monk Father Silouan: Father bless!! Couldn't agree with you more strongly. If certain things are inborn, then that can be the excuse for any sin that comes along. Not to say that a SSA is a sin in and of itself, but the acting out is certainly that. That's like saying that since I really like the way women have curves that it's okay to wonder what they look like in thir birthday suits. But what of that teaching Jesus gave us about adultery being in the heart as well as in the act itself? "Adjusting" Church teaching would necessarily require collecting all the Bibles and using white-out on the passages from St. Paul (and other places) that teach that active homosexuals will not enter the Kingdom. And then what would the Church answer to the Lord when He comes and asking for an accounting of her stewardship? It seems to me to be time for the same bishops who came out against the president speaking at Notre Dame to come out and demand that their erring brother be defrocked. BOB
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That people are born with disorders is a fact of our fallen world. Father Deacon Lance: Yeh, I was born with a disorder, too. It seems that I don't accept things on their face, that I question, and I've been known to challenge those in authority. I've been told I'm "dangerous" because I challenged a priest and was proven right once upon a time. But this doesn't mean I have the right to be prideful or refuse to ask forgiveness when I come off too harsh or have the right to disrespect the office of someone I question even when I disagree with the holder of said office. And I don't get a pass with Christ when He asks me to follow Him--and sometimes that means keeping my big yap shut: sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. It does mean that sometimes for the sake of avoiding scandal I should take someone aside quietly rather than standing up and challenging in the midst of a crowd. BOB
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That people are born with disorders is a fact of our fallen world. I do belive that some are bron with disordered sexual inclinations. That does not give them the right to act upon them nor give the Church the right to sanction them. [...]
Fr. Deacon Lance Weakland AMEN! Further, I've seen NO scientific consensus. I've seen a lot of homosexuals willfully misread the studies and claim proof where the Correlation Coefficient is in the weak link range, and the Chi-square test fails to indicate anything other than randomness. I've seen a number of studies that show a weak linkage. hair swirls, having older male siblings, mother having gay male siblings, and both isolated populations and highly dense populations all increase the "risk" of homosexuality, but there is no clear cause.
Last edited by aramis; 06/25/09 09:21 PM.
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Bob,
Did I offend you with what I wrote?
Fr. Deacon Lance
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The idea of genetic predisposition to homosexuality does not explain how identical twins can grow up with different sexual orientations. Nor does it explain historical phenomena such as the Ottoman Janissary corps, which consisted entirely of men recruited as young boys from among the Christian Dhimmi of the Ottoman Empire. Raised in cloistered camps without women, they grew up to be exclusively homosexual. Are we to believe this is due to the prescient ability of Turkish recruiters to spot the genetically predisposed boys in the Greek Christian population?
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I certainly don't believe every person claiming to be homosexual is genetically predisposed to it, but having talked to men in Courage who live celibate lives while struggling with this disorder I do believe some are. These men do not wish to be attracted to men and yet they are. Of course perhaps stating it is a genetic predispostion is incorrect as one can be born with a disorder that is not genetic but caused by some factor in utero.
My cromulent posts embiggen this forum.
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Science has not yet determined the cause of homosexuality. It could be nature and it could be nurture. Either way it does not matter and it is a cross to those who have the condition. Acting out upon it sexually is always wrong and must be avoided. Those with the homosexuality disorder should strive to live lives of chastity. The Christian faithful should help them, and pray for them.
The issue with Archbishop Weakland is indeed sad. I do not think that many bishops and priests understand the harm that homosexual clergy have inflicted upon the Church (and I am not just speaking of the problems of child sexual abuse). Homosexual clergy who do not continuously live a Christian lifestyle create a bad environment within a parish and ultimately chase the faithful away (although the faithful often do not understand why they find a certain priest or parish unbearable). Leaving homosexual priests in parishes only kills the parish.
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Leaving homosexual priests in parishes only kills the parish. What? What evidence is there for this statement?
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