This page is dedicated to the discussion of human sexuality and the Roman Catholic Church in the light of these two observations:
"It always has been the conviction of the church that God gave man the ability to arrive, with the light of his reason, at an understanding of the fundamental truths about his life and his destiny and, concretely, at the norms of correct action."
-- Pope John Paul II
Theologians have not yet faced the daunting task of elaborating a substantive theology of human sexuality as a creation of God who willed this to be such a strong, dominant, and constitutive element of human nature. -- Robert Vitillo, S.J.
I accept these statements as a working basis for a productive dialogue about human sexuality at a juncture in history when the challenge of understanding sex and making rational decisions faces us with epic consequences in terms of human well being and spiritual growth.
Years ago a theologian at St. Louis University identified the tangle of issues that clog the agenda of the Catholic Church and keep it from productive leadership and credible action. They all have to do with sex: abortion, contraception, masturbation, sex before marriage or after divorce, homosexuality, artificial insemination, the requirement of celibacy for ordination, the ordination of women to the priesthood, and a married priesthood. All of these issues are open for debate and discussion.
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We begin with the questions, not the answers.
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2006-09-05 Dialogue # 01 Sex in Seminaries
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2006-10-01 Dialogue # 02 Gay Priests
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2006-12-11 Dialogue # 03 Priests Justify Sex
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2007-01-02 Dialogue # 04 Sexualizing Sacraments
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2007-01-23 Dialogue # 05 Avoiding Facts
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2007-01-15 Dialogue # 06 Catholic Views
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2006-11-25 Dialogue # 07 A Boy Abused
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2007-02-22 Dialogue # 08 The Priesthood in Poland
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2007-03-30 Dialogue # 09 Priests Record Seduction
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2007-05-31 Dialogue # 10 Beneath Silk and Brocade
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2007-06-12 Dialogue # 11 Why Bankruptcy
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2007-07-25 Dialogue # 12 Sex in Catholic Seminaries
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2007-10-15 Dialogue # 13 Witness from Seminaries
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2007-09-27 Dialogue # 14 The USCCB Knows Everything
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2007-09-30 Dialogue # 15 A Troubled Abbey
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2009-07-15 Dialogue # 16 Squabbling About Numbers
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2008-08-11 Dialogue # 17 Survival of the Spirit
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2008-09-08 Dialogue # 18 Voices of Reason
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2009-06-16 Dialogue # 19 Questions About Sex Research
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| 2010-09-14 Dialogue # 20 The Road to Celibacy # 1 |
| 2010-09-30 Dialogue # 21 The Road to Celibacy # 2 |
| 2010-12-08 Dialogue # 22 The Road to Celibacy # 3 |
On October 28,2006 Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Bishops of Ireland:
"In your continuing efforts to deal effectively with this problem [the sexual abuse of minors by clergy], it is important to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected and, above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes"
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