Celibacy vs. chastity.Paul Stanosz ("Gay Seminarians," December 16, 2005) may be right that homosexuals who are thinking about the priesthood would save themselves a lot of grief by dropping the idea. But if the Vatican's treatment of these men is morally wrong--and Stanosz seems to think that it is--then his conclusion seems to endorse an injustice. Another quibble QUIBBLE. A slight difficulty raised without necessity or propriety; a cavil. 2. No justly eminent member of the bar will resort to a quibble in his argument. : Stanosz uses the terms "celibacy" and "chastity" interchangeably. When I studied canon law canon law, in the Roman Catholic Church, the body of law based on the legislation of the councils (both ecumenical and local) and the popes, as well as the bishops (for diocesan matters). , celibacy was defined as the "state of not being married" (the Latin caelibatus means "unmarried"). Although morally reprehensible rep·re·hen·si·ble adj. Deserving rebuke or censure; blameworthy. See Synonyms at blameworthy. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin repreh , sexual sins did not contravene con·tra·vene tr.v. con·tra·vened, con·tra·ven·ing, con·tra·venes 1. To act or be counter to; violate: contravene a direct order. 2. the celibacy canons, but attempted marriage did. The Catechism of the Church, while it does not define celibacy, seems to understand celibacy in this traditional sense. Meanwhile, chastity is a virtue everyone is called to embrace. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Encyclopedia of Catholicism, chastity is "the virtue that pursues the integration of the true meaning of human sexuality and intimacy, whether one is married or not." Stanosz should use these terms with more precision. F. E. HIGGINS Washington, D.C. THE AUTHOR REPLIES: F. E. Higgins, I, and nearly everyone else would agree that seminaries need to do more to foster chaste (pure), celibate (unmarried) priests capable of mature, nonexclusive relationships. Writing as a sociologist, I did not pass judgment on the morality of homosexuality, but sought to examine the stigmatizing practices that make it more difficult for gay seminarians to develop chaste, celibate, intimate relationships. The data suggest that this stigmatization stigmatization /stig·ma·ti·za·tion/ (stig?mah-ti-za´shun) 1. the developing of or being identified as possessing one or more stigmata. 2. the act or process of negatively labelling or characterizing another. causes some candidates "a lot of grief." Despite the extensive formation that American Catholic priests have received, they are nonetheless statistically more likely to become depressed, HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. positive, to suffer from alcoholism, mental breakdowns, and heart attacks, and to die younger than other college graduates. These facts are never mentioned in the Catechism or in canon law, but they strengthen my sense that there is a need for prudence when it comes to implementing the policies and practices that relate to the training of priests. (REV.) PAUL STANOSZ |
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