Damage to church is far-reaching

Here's an excerpt of an interview by Marie Rohde of Archbishop Rembert Weakland in the Milwaukee Journal, November 13, 1994 (subhead "Archdiocese tries to help victims, priests"; brackets as sent to me). At the end of the interview Ms. Rohde is asking about “ephebophilia”, which I have seen characterized as "a pseudo-clinical term for a sexual fixation on youngsters between the ages 12 to 16". You will see it used to classify, or attempt to classify, much of the sexual abuse of children by priests as something other than pedophilia.

Weakland: Another story is the large number of gays who apply for the seminaries. Should we take them?

What does that do in terms of the culture [of the seminary and the priesthood]? How does that alter things? That's a serious issue; we bishops talk about it in small groups but we've never publicly had a real good discussion on what that means right now.

Rohde: Are you talking about men who are openly gay?

Weakland: Most are not openly gay. In the past they would not have been admitted.

Rohde: So how do you deal with that issue?

Weakland: I think that there are probably differences of opinions among bishops as to how to treat it. I think every bishop would say whether the seminarian candidate's orientation is heterosexual or homosexual, celibacy is celibacy, so you try to at least make that part clear. And then how you're going to live it out becomes very problematic. You talk about it so that it's understood.

There are a larger number of gays living at the seminaries. I don't know if there is a connection to the larger number of ephebophiles.

Rohde. Do you see a connection?

Weakland. If you wanted a blunt answer, I would say I think there can be a connection between [homosexual orientation] for a priest and an occasional relationship with a younger person. I think that can happen. Then you would have to make a distinction. In other words, I'm saying somebody who might be gay but whose normal orientation is toward adults might pick up the younger person. I think that could happen.

See Clergy Abuse Q & A.

(via SNAP)