The Catholic Inquisition
The Vatican is launching a ban on gays in the priesthood, whether or not they are celibate, as part of the new pope's desire to "purify" the church.
Well, as Mike Dukakis used to say, the fish rots from the head.
Naturally, the pope, who appears to be a bigot, is using the child abuse scandal as an excuse for anti-gay discrimation. That's a mistake. It was never clear how many of those priests were gay, or simply straight men whose normal sexual desires were perverted by the priesthood.
The child abuse scandal could have been such an opportunity for real, enlightened reform in the Catholic Church—permitting women to become priests, getting rid of the celibacy requirement, opening the way to honest discussions of human sexuality.
What a shame that it has instead become a venue for launching a whole new wave of abuse.
And perhaps I am paranoid, but it makes me nervous when a former soldier in Hitler's army starts purging an entire swath of people from the ranks of the holy....
P.S. And speaking of gay stuff...apparently ever since Renee Zellwegger listed "fraud" on her divorce petition after her quickie marriage to country singer Kenny Chesney, the rumors have been flying that Chesney is gay. (In my opinion, one would have to be gay to marry Renee Zellwegger, but that's not really the point.) Of course, everyone in Chesney's camp is denying like mad, because the red states feel about gay country music singers the way the Vatican feels about gay priests. Me, I think it has some commercial possibilities—talk about cross-over! Especially with New York magazine reporting that local gays are getting into frat-style hazing....
