FATHER DESPARD AND THE GAY PRIESTHOOD

FATHER DESPARD AND THE GAY PRIESTHOOD

FATHER MATTHEW DESPARD of the Roman Catholic diocese of Motherwell, Scotland, has been left in Limbo after exposing the corruption that is rife among Catholic priests in his own diocese, in the chaplaincy services of the British Armed Forces and in the priesthood in general.

Father Matthew Despard

Father Despard is heterosexual. He says he has no problem with gay priests as all priests - hetero and gay promise to be celibate and therefore sexual orientation is not an issue.

But he says that as a "straight" man he has been suffered sexual harassment persecution from gay men while he was in the seminary, while he  chaplain in the Forces and while he lived in presbyteries with actively gay priests.

He claims that this "gay cabal" set out to destroy him because he was different and would not play the game.

In my first two years as a priest two older priests gay sexually harassed me. One pinned me to a chair in his presbytery and tried to kiss me on the mouth and another pushed me to the ground and literally jumped on me. 

A former seminarian from The Pontifical Irish College in Rome refused to join gay parties in the college and was harassed by having his underwear stolen from the laundry room, having "love letters" pushed under his door and receiving obscene telephone calls in the middle of the night.

Irish College, Rome

When he complained to the authorities - he was asked to leave - and members of the gay gang were treasured and ordained !!!

Father Despard talks a lot about homosexual activity in the seminaries in Scotland and in Rome. And on the topic of Maynooth Seminary, which featured this week on this Blog he says:

"I am reminded as I write of a conversation I had only a few days ago with a friend who was once a seminarian at Maynooth Seminary in Ireland. He is now married with three children. Reflecting on his own experience at Maynooth, he told me there was a massively huge percentage of  the seminarians who were active homosexuals and they were able to make life extremely difficult for the heterosexual students. He simply said that he himself "couldn't take anymore and just left". ) p 61)

Maynooth

We know from the article that Anthony Murphy published on this Blog this week - and from one of our correspondents "Mary" that recently three seminarians left or were sent away because they complained about other sexually active seminarians. 

To me it is a great tragedy and injustice that heterosexual men are driven out of seminaries and a priestly vocation by a gay gang!

THE ISSUE:

I am a gay priest with a partner for the past seven years. We have had a Civil Partnership Ceremony.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with being a gay priest. But I do think that its hypocrisy to be a sexually active gay priest (or seminarian) and at the same time be preaching, teaching or upholding the Roman Catholic Church's teachings about homosexuality and homosexuals.

Such men who want to minister should find a church in which their beliefs are in line with their lifestyles - such as The Meterpolitan Church - or indeed be independent priests - as some are already.

Also, sexual harassment and persecution is not only wrong and immoral but it is often a crime. This is true whether such harassment is perpetrated by men or women or by straight or gay people.  

I also disagree with what I call the homosexualisation of the priesthood. Gay people represent some 5% of the population. Can anyone give me any reason why 5% of the priesthood should be gay and the rest of it being like society is?

This healthier position would be much more easily achieved in the Catholic Church ordained married men and women. 

Not only would heterosexual men feel very ill at easy - or even profoundly unwanted in a predominantly gay seminary - but they also need to be a priest and also have wives and children.

I think that Father Despard's book gives us all food for thought. It can be read on the Internet at: priesthoodincrisis.blogspot.co.uk

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