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  Grand Jury Report on Diocese and Pope's Efforts to Investigate Seminaries Highlight Homosexual Priest Problem

Christian Wire Service [Philadelphia PA]
September 28, 2005

Contact: Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, 814-437-5355, 814-271-9078

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28 /Christian Wire Service/ -- The release of the Grand Jury Report on the sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Philadelphia Diocese highlights the danger of having homosexuals serving in the ministry, a pro-family group said today. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) reviewed the over 400-page report and found that of the 28 'Selected Case Studies" listed in the report the victims of 23 priests were males ranging in age from 11-18 and the victims of two priests were both male and female. This review also reveals the efforts by media to downplay the overall presence of male victims and concentrate on the three priests whose victims were strictly female and the two that victimized both male and female teens.

"This is truly a tragic situation - men who have been placed in authority positions taking advantage of teenage boys. More importantly it highlights the need for the pope to carry forth with his plan to investigate U.S. seminaries for the presence of homosexuals," remarked Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.

Rod Dreher, editor of National Review Online writes: "Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, an eminent Catholic psychiatrist who has treated scores of victims and priest-perpetrators, says 90% of his patients were either teen male victims or priests, or priests who abused teen boys." Because the victims are teenagers, this shows that the issue is not one of pedophilia as much as it is one of homosexuality.

Father Donald Cozzens, an author, psychologist, and Catholic seminary president says that there is such a high percentage of gay priests in the church that he is concerned that "the priesthood is or is becoming a gay profession." In his book, "The Changing Face of the Priesthood," -- published in the year 2000 -- he estimates that 50% of Roman Catholic priests have a homosexual orientation.

A 2004 survey by John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that, of 10,667 individuals abused by priests between 1950 and 2002, 81 percent were male.

"Additionally the Philadelphia Diocese situation shows the importance of the Boy Scout's policy not to allow homosexuals as Scout leaders as one of the priests abused boys in his Boy Scout troop," Gramley observed.

"Victims of priests of the Philadelphia Diocese represent the tens of thousands young men around the nation who have been victimized. The AFA of PA commends the pope for his efforts to investigate the U.S. seminaries and work to prevent such abuse in the future," commented Gramley.

 
 

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