Biased Reporting on the Vatican

[12th Doctor]

Funny, the headline is "Sexually Active Gays Unwelcome".  This would lead one to think that the Vatican is taking a hard-line against homosexuals.  This is acctually progressive as the line before was that they didn't want any gay preists who had acting on their homosexuality.  And, this is no different now from the requirements for hetrosexuals.  Anyway, here is the bias tripe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051122/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_gays

Vatican: Sexually Active Gays Unwelcome

VATICAN CITY - The     Vatican says homosexuals who are sexually active or support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless they have overcome their homosexual tendencies for at least three years, according to a church document posted on the Internet by an Italian Catholic news agency.

The long-awaited document is scheduled to be released by the Vatican on Nov. 29. A church official who has read the document confirmed the authenticity of the Internet posting by the Adista news agency.

The document said that "the church, while deeply respecting the people in question, cannot admit to the seminary and the sacred orders those who practice homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support so-called gay culture."

"Those people find themselves, in fact, in a situation that presents a grave obstacle to a correct relationship between men and women. One cannot ignore the negative consequences that can stem from the ordination of people with deeply rooted homosexual tendencies," it said.

"If instead it is a case of homosexual tendencies that are merely the expression of a transitory problem, for example as in the case of an unfinished adolescence, they must however have been clearly overcome for at least three years before ordination as a deacon."

Vatican prohibitions on active homosexuals becoming priests are not new.

A key 1961 Vatican document on selecting candidates for the priesthood made clear homosexuals should be barred.

However, the sex abuse scandal among priests in the United States and elsewhere has led some to call for new restrictions.

[J-Mann]

Yes, tricky headlines like that show up quite a bit in the mainstream print media.  There's a bit of obvious bias there, since headline lengths aren't limited online and they could have easily added "...in priesthood" to it. 

Also, the headline serves as a bit of a teaser. It sparks more emotion and interest in the story shortened up and ambiguous the way it is. It's like when a TV news anchor gives a preview of the upcoming segment by saying, "The president has been assassinated...but the president of what?  Find out at 11."

[12th Doctor]

Of course, the Catholic Church does one of the most fair and progressive things it has done in 25 years, and gets absolutly no credit for it.  The headline of this story should read:

Vatican Lifts Ban on Gays in the Preisthood

[J-Mann]

Of course, the Catholic Church does one of the most fair and progressive things it has done in 25 years, and gets absolutly no credit for it.  The headline of this story should read:

Vatican Lifts Ban on Gays in the Preisthood

We'll have to get used to this being misrepresented, I'm afraid.  I haven't seen one bit of this on CNN; they're too focused on the Pope wearing Prada and Gucci.

[J. J.]

Of course, the Catholic Church does one of the most fair and progressive things it has done in 25 years, and gets absolutly no credit for it.  The headline of this story should read:

Vatican Lifts Ban on Gays in the Preisthood

We'll have to get used to this being misrepresented, I'm afraid.  I haven't seen one bit of this on CNN; they're too focused on the Pope wearing Prada and Gucci.

My understanding was there was no ban on gays in the Priesthood, only, with one exception, on sexually active men being in the priesthood.

[J-Mann]

Of course, the Catholic Church does one of the most fair and progressive things it has done in 25 years, and gets absolutly no credit for it.  The headline of this story should read:

Vatican Lifts Ban on Gays in the Preisthood

We'll have to get used to this being misrepresented, I'm afraid.  I haven't seen one bit of this on CNN; they're too focused on the Pope wearing Prada and Gucci.

My understanding was there was no ban on gays in the Priesthood, only, with one exception, on sexually active men being in the priesthood.

That could be very true -- I'm not sure.  Hetero- or homosexual, it doesn't matter what a priest may be on the inside; they're not supposed to reflect it on any way on the outside.

[J-Mann]

CNN.com got it right:

Vatican: Active gays unwelcome in priesthood
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/11/22/vatican.gays.ap/index.html

The improved upon the Yahoo! headline.  Makes me wonder who was responsible -- AP or Yahoo!

[riceowl]

anyone have sources as to the "rules" for catholic clergy? I need to see where it says the same requirements for heteros.

[J-Mann]

anyone have sources as to the "rules" for catholic clergy? I need to see where it says the same requirements for heteros.

I don't have a source as to the rules of the clergy, but it stands to reason that since priests are required to be celibate, they cannot be sexually active heterosexuals any more than they can be sexually active homosexuals.

[12th Doctor]

Of course, the Catholic Church does one of the most fair and progressive things it has done in 25 years, and gets absolutly no credit for it.  The headline of this story should read:

Vatican Lifts Ban on Gays in the Preisthood

We'll have to get used to this being misrepresented, I'm afraid.  I haven't seen one bit of this on CNN; they're too focused on the Pope wearing Prada and Gucci.

My understanding was there was no ban on gays in the Priesthood, only, with one exception, on sexually active men being in the priesthood.

That is the point.  There was, previously, a ban on anyone who had participated in homosexual acts, ever, in the priesthood.  Now, they have basically made the requirements the same as they are for hetrosexuals who are in the seminary.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

VATICAN CITY - The     Vatican says homosexuals who are sexually active or support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless they have overcome their homosexual tendencies for at least three years

Three years?  Although the bible does say that a leader shouldn't be a recent convert, the bible argues AGAINST a probational period for repentance. 

The bible does say that a leader must have a good reputation with outsiders....Therefore, if outsiders don't know about a private sexual act, I don't see the need for a probational period.