The Vatican today denied that its celibacy requirement for priests was the root cause of [its clergy's rampant homosexual child molestation] scandal convulsing the church in Europe and again defended the pope's handling of the crisis.
Suggestions that the celibacy rule was in part responsible for the "deviant behavior" of sexually abusive priests have swirled in recent days, with opinion pieces in German newspapers blaming it for fueling abuse and even Italian commentators questioning the rule. Much of the furor was spurred by comments from one of the pope's closest advisers, Vienna archbishop... More>>
- The Vatican is fighting attempts to link its child molestation scandals to Pope Benedict XVI, seen here walking in his red Prada shoes, which the Vatican also denies (AFP/Andreas Solaro).
Sex, gay rights, and the Cross
Legislation for equal rights won't eradicate the suffering of homosexual men and women. Anyone who has endured years of teenage, and often adult, angst coming to terms with their homosexual attraction, as Alexandra Mankowitz recounted in The Times Online last Monday, cannot help but be deeply moved.
