Speaking of homosexuality, during the Rome “summit”, on 23 February, we will celebrate the feast of St Peter Damian (d 1072), Doctor of the Church.
St. Peter was a spectacular theologian and reformer. One of his hardest hitting works is the Liber Gomorrhianus, which blasts, among other sins, pederasty and homosexuality in the clergy.
Let’s just say that St Peter addresses the problem through language that is atypical these days. He conveys his, and God’s, thoughts on the matter without the cowering equivocations in which we are lately so mired.
That is the real topic that the “summit” in Rome ought to be tackling head on. And everyone knows it.
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I read St Peter Damian once expecting his book to be a very harsh condemnation of the homosexually practicing clergy tout court, i.e., something “medieval” in the worst sense. However, I was surprised and pleased to find that, while there was condemnation of the sinful activity, at least according to my impression he actually thought possible and hoped and called for their repentance and conversion. His canonization was truly deserved in my view.
Not a coincidence from the spiritual perspective.
“…we will celebrate the feast of St Peter Damian (d 1072), Doctor of the Church.” ‘We’ but not the Curia. The latter probably has no idea that it’s this Saint’s feast day. Hopefully St. Damian can open a few hearts to what utter destruction and filth homosexuality has wrought on the Church
The Church, being as old as she is, has dealt with practically every sort of corruption in the hierarchy imaginable. The issue of active predatory abusive homosexual clergy is hardly new. That there exists a need for a summit instead of simply applying what is already ‘on the books’, strongly indicates to me a corrupt way of thinking where the result will neither understand nor address the issues at hand.
This is born out by recent statements from Card. Cupich who said, “homosexuality itself is not a cause” of “male on male sex abuse”. This, of course, is insane. If an inclination is acted upon, it is a direct cause of the action by definition.
Ending abuse and reforming the organs of the Church can never come about so long as the above attitude of Card. Cupich continues to possess the leadership of the Church. This is not just in terms of homosexuality, but also applies to other areas where the hierarchy refuses to rid itself of compromise and corruption brought about by attempting to accompany those in sin rather than working to free those so caught.
I was surprised in reading that book that there were enough clerics laying with animals for it to need to be addressed specifically in one of the chapters…there is even a suggestion for penance for bishops who committed bestiality. Crazy.
Also, he was particularly harsh with clerics who preyed on people under their authority.
I always thought that the homosexuality/pedophilia/pederasty problem in the priesthood was a 20th/21st century problem. I’ve been so ignorant. It’s hard to learn that it was enough of a problem in the 11th century for St. Peter Damian to write a work that exposes the evil of these sins.
It makes me wonder if there is any evidence of these sins in the Church of England dating back to the time it was established. If so, why don’t we ever hear about them?
Different sins are “popular” in different times and places, because different eras have different strengths and weaknesses.
And if you think the Church of England has never had homosexuality or pederasty problems among their clergy, you do not read much English literature from previous centuries.
“For God’s sake, why do you damnable sodomites pursue the heights of ecclesiastical dignity with such fiery ambition?”” – Excerpt from Letters of Peter Damian, Vol 2; Letter 31, paragraph 50.
“Therefore, miserable soul, I weep for you with unrelenting grief because I do not see you weeping. For this reason I lie prostrate on the ground for you because I see you wickedly standing erect after your grievous fall and even striving for the highest rank that the ecclesiastical order may offer. … But as it is, you are truly to be wept over because you do not weep; and thus you need the grief of others because you do not grieve over your perilous calamity.” – Excerpt from Letters of Peter Damian, Vol 2; Letter 31, paragraph 47.