“At any one time no more than 50% of priests are practicing celibacy.” That was the hypothesis and thrust of A Secret World (1990) and repeated in Celibacy in Crisis (2003) In May 1993 at the Vatican International Conference on Celibacy in Rome Cardinal Jose Sanchez then Chairman of the Dicastery on Clergy fielded questions about my study and conclusions and a similar sociological statistical report by Fr. Victor Kotze of South Africa. Father Kotze concluded that in any three-year period only 45% of priests were practicing celibacy. When asked directly by reporter Mark Dowd, and a reporter recording for the BBC TV what the Cardinal thought of those studies he said, “I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of those figures."
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/ ... -sacristy/
The article goes on to note that the break in priestly celibacy is mainly homosexual. More disturbing is that this issue is linked with certain priests supporting each other regarding keeping sexual abuse incidents hush hush and the perpetrators protected.
Is there anyone here who isn't upset by this? I know I am. Any remedies you suggest? Clearly it's a serious problem. Perhaps ending celibacy requirements for priests would help, allowed married men to be priests. But with or without that, there clearly needs to be a crackdown. The Vatican should start a serious and wide-scale investigation organization, preferably compromised of married men, to audit the clergy. Use sting operations if necessary. Start requiring clergy to sign agreements that would allow searches of their homes and computers without notice. Be proactive in asking their flocks about them and gathering info.
