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The Press
September 7, 2002

Celibacy 'vital tradition'
by Yvonne Martin

The Pope has told the Catholic Church to be more careful screening out prospective priests with deviant desires to avoid sex scandals that have rocked dioceses like Christchurch.

Catholic Communications director Lyndsay Freer said the Pope was presumably talking about homosexuals, as well as paedophiles.

The Church generally frowns on homosexuality but non-practising gay men who enter seminaries to train as priests are seen as morally "neutral".

"They take a vow of celibacy and that applies whether they are homosexual or heterosexual," said Ms Freer.

The Pope said the Church had to be careful not to allow men who had what he called obvious "deviations in their affections" from entering seminaries in the first place.

He told Brazilian bishops at his summer residence south of Rome that candidates had to be screened "above all from the standpoint of morals and affections". He said those who should never be ordained included "young, immature (men) or those with obvious signs of deviations in their affections".

"As we sadly know, (such men) can cause grave deviations in the consciences of the faithful, with obvious harm for the entire Church."

The St John of God Order in Christchurch is facing sex abuse allegations from 70 men, while nuns from two Catholic orders have also come under fire.

The Pope reaffirmed the Church's rule on celibacy, saying it should be seen as a vital part of a tradition in which the priest gives himself unconditionally to God.

Ms Freer said seminarians are psycho-sexually assessed throughout their training to see if they felt they had the "spiritual and emotional health" to proceed. Priests with suspected sexual problems are sent to Encompass Australasia, a treatment and assessment centre in Australia.

Complaints of misconduct or immorality are judged on their merits, said Ms Freer.

"It's very important that suitable people are accepted for priesthood," she said.

Catholic Bishop of Christchurch John Cunneen has earlier denied that the vocation was attracting homosexuals. "The psychological testing our students undergo would be picking it up," he said.