The Church Needs a Sexual Revolution of its own

The hopes and challenges of priestly celibacy today? Is addressed in America Magazine today. The author claims that the sexual revolution had something to do with because crisis. No. Here is why.

It was not the sexual revolution which caused an uptick in abuse. Rather, it was the revelation of non-belief. Until the early sixties, there was a belief in the belief in God. The highest form of that belief was ordination to the priesthood. Such a belief is a barrier to authentic formulation. It is grandiosity over faith and it still plagues the Church. The desire to serve God, or even the belief that God actually needs this service, is the pride which felled Satan. We depend on God, not the other way around. Ordination should be confined to those who wish to bring God to others for their sakes, not because God needs their obedience.

The need for celibacy comes from the adoption of Sacred Continence, which sees carnal knowledge of a woman as disqualifying to celebrate Mass. This went hand in hand with the belief that original sin was an act of disobedience which comes to us through sexual activity. There is nothing sacred about either teaching. It has its roots in Hellenistic idealism. It's champion was not Christ but Marcus Aurelius. All of the martyrs from Jesus Maccabee to Jesus Christ and his early followers died resisting Hellenic ideals.

Celibacy comes naturally for those of an asexual orientation. The Church denies such a thing even exists. Instead, it is seen as a mark of holiness rather than a sexual state even more rare than homosexuality. The Church community cannot help priests to cope with what the Church denies. To be clear, most asexuals form an adult sexuality, sometimes with and sometimes despite the Church.

Homosexuals in the clergy are more likely to have adult relationships in their development. They do not see their sexuality as either aberrant or holy. Most accept it as an integral part of themselves. In minor seminary, they studied Fagothy's Right and Reason. The natural law argument for and against homosexuality is even, with the tie broken by theism (that belief in the belief of God). Authentic faith teaches them that they are beautifully made.

Clergy of any orientation who are hiding from themselves and/or are victims of abuse have little or no ability to form adult relationships, even with their own gender preference, or to resist sexual expression with those of their sexual immaturity, i.e., children. It is why "Uncle Ted's" incidents of abuse were adolescent. Adult homosexual expression was beyond him.

The entire body of natural law sexual teaching is infected with both asexual and misogynist biases and the belief that God requires moral behavior for His own sake rather than ours. This is hardly gentle and humble of heart, an easy yoke or a light burden, nor is it perfect live as the Father is perfect.

The only way out of our sexual insanity is to embrace the ordination of women and adult sexuality, which can include marriage. Resisting the sexual revolution is not the answer. The Church must embrace it instead.

The secular reason for celibacy must also be addressed. It was also enacted to preserve Church property from feudal inheritance. It still embraces feudal management style when a non-profit structure can accomplish the same ends, while starting the process of more democratic Church governance. Feudal titles come from the world of the Gentiles. It is time to reject beneficies and benefactors. It is what the Lord intended for his Church.