NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7700710.stm

Priests to face 'sex drive tests'

The Roman Catholic Church has issued guidance for future priests to have psychological tests to weed out those unable to control their sexual urges.

A senior churchman said a series of sex scandals had contributed to the rewriting of the guidelines.

The authors said screening would help avoid "tragic situations" caused by what they termed psychological defects.

The guidance says the voluntary tests should also aim to vet for those with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies".

Among other traits that might make a candidate unsuitable for the priesthood, the advice lists "uncertain sexual identity," "excessive rigidity of character" and "strong affective dependencies".

The document also makes reference to heterosexual urges.

Seminarians should be barred if testing makes it "evident the candidate has difficulty living in celibacy: That is, if celibacy for him is lived as a burden so heavy that it compromises his affective and relational equilibrium", it says.

Catholic officials continue to fixate on the offenders and ignore the larger problem
US-based victims group SNAP

The advice stipulates priests must have a "positive and stable sense of one's masculine identity".

The document, approved by Pope Benedict XVI and made public on Thursday, stresses that the screening must always have the candidate's consent.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of sex scandals in recent years involving paedophile priests, notably in the US, Latin America and Europe, triggering lawsuits that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

And a seminary in Austria was shut down in August 2004 after revelations that students openly indulged in homosexual conduct.

Gay rights groups have accused the Church of using homosexuals as scapegoats for abuse scandals.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a US-based group of victims of sexual abuse, said the revised guidelines did not go far enough.

"Catholic officials continue to fixate on the offenders and ignore the larger problem: The Church's virtually unchanged culture of secrecy and unchecked power in the hierarchy," it said in a statement.

"These broader factors are deeply rooted in the Church and contribute heavily to extensive and ongoing clergy sex abuse and cover up."
Ah, sex, the bane of Catholics everywhere. Poor Catholics dunno what they're missing.

Bet they'll all fail somewhere along the line.

That's not a bad idea...if you're going in to something that requires celibacy, you'd better be able to uphold that commitment. Although I'm not exactly one who could ever do something like that, being able to contain sexual urges in their entirety is a pretty damn impressive show of personal will and dedication.

I know a few gay priests who are able to control their "urges" quite effectively. A couple of them have influential positions in the Church educational system. This kind of testing could, at least in theory, ban them from the priesthood.

I think the Church should go back to it's origins, allowing married priests and accepting women in the priesthood. That would solve most of the problems they're having now. Establishing more restrictions isn't going to be healthy for the survival of the Church.

Good job, Pope Bennie.

What happened to the olden days when priests used to father tonnes of bastard children? Why don't we just go back to that? Surely that would be easier.

Damn, I thought this was about the movie.

I know a few gay priests who are able to control their "urges" quite effectively. A couple of them have influential positions in the Church educational system. This kind of testing could, at least in theory, ban them from the priesthood.

I think the Church should go back to it's origins, allowing married priests and accepting women in the priesthood. That would solve most of the problems they're having now. Establishing more restrictions isn't going to be healthy for the survival of the Church.

Good job, Pope Bennie.

Women were never allowed in the priesthood. And yeah, there is no reason to ban marriage any more. The reason for banning it in the first place has disappeared over the past few centuries.

Catholicism has been experiencing a priest shortage for years, this is only going to make it worse.

If you really want a celibate clergy then this isn't a half bad idea. But don't expect the numbers of priests to grow once this gets put in place.

Exactly what kind of 'screening' is this? Will there be blackjack and hookers?

Shouldn't we just castrate them all just to be sure?

Shouldn't we just castrate them all just to be sure?

I have steel-toed clown shoes. I could donate my services to God. :D

I have steel-toed clown shoes. I could donate my services to God. :D

It could be a beautiful ceremony as the young priests line up to be kicked by a clown

I have steel-toed clown shoes. I could donate my services to God. :D

How very noble of ya!
:p

Or the stupid Pope can change an unbiblical tradition and allow priests to marry.


:eek::eek2::eek::eek2::eek::eek2:


Nope, that's too logical.

It would certainly solve the problem that exists within the church but it will inevitably fail to address the actual problem...

Damn. When I read that priests were to face a "Sex Drive" test I presumed it would involve the priests driving a car at high speed around a specially designed airfield course, trying to avoid hitting pop-up cardboard depictions of the baby Jesus while a prostitute performs sexual favours in an effort to distract them. The reality is much less entertaining.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that'd make an excellent TV gameshow.

There are many perverts in religion, as it's a great place to abuse trust.

Damn. When I read that priests were to face a "Sex Drive" test I presumed it would involve the priests driving a car at high speed around a specially designed airfield course, trying to avoid hitting pop-up cardboard depictions of the baby Jesus while a prostitute performs sexual favours in an effort to distract them. The reality is much less entertaining.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that'd make an excellent TV gameshow.

I'm sure Japan has already done it. Twice.

I'm sure Japan has already done it. Twice.

If it features sex, the Japanese have already done it. :D

I'm sure Japan has already done it. Twice.

Yeh, I guess. For Japan it'd be fairly normal daytime TV.

If it features sex, the Japanese have already done it. :D

If it's more than odd, they have.

Maybe the Church can start giving priest "Whore" allowances? You know, give them a bit of money every month so that they can go to the local Brothel and get laid.

What....Mary was a prostitute and Jesus hung out with her!

Maybe the Church can start giving priest "Whore" allowances? You know, give them a bit of money every month so that they can go to the local Brothel and get laid.

What....Mary was a prostitute and Jesus hung out with her!

Actually, evidence suggests that Mary Magdalene wasn't a prostitute, but a very wealthy woman who used her fortune to support Christ. Mary as a prostitute was a later invention, or perhaps more accurately a later confusion, because Biblical "scholars" tended to confuse her wilth the woman taken in adultery - who was never named.

Women were never allowed in the priesthood. And yeah, there is no reason to ban marriage any more. The reason for banning it in the first place has disappeared over the past few centuries.

Catholicism has been experiencing a priest shortage for years, this is only going to make it worse.

In the very early Church, the roles of men and women were blurred, and many women acted as priests. Quite often you'd have men and women (usually husband and wife) acting as a team of priests.

In the very early Church, the roles of men and women were blurred, and many women acted as priests. Quite often you'd have men and women (usually husband and wife) acting as a team of priests.

Holy Rollers FTW

Actually, evidence suggests that Mary Magdalene wasn't a prostitute, but a very wealthy woman who used her fortune to support Christ. Mary as a prostitute was a later invention, or perhaps more accurately a later confusion, because Biblical "scholars" tended to confuse her wilth the woman taken in adultery - who was never named.

So...Mary Magdalene was a Sugar mama?

Ah, sex, the bane of Catholics everywhere. Poor Catholics dunno what they're missing.

lol, if you say so. You're wrong but still if you say so.

And this clip disagrees with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47P59ha9k9s

Where do you think they all came from? Not from having sex twice in their lifetime I can tell you that.

I laughed from here to Timbuktu.:D

What happened to the olden days when priests used to father tonnes of bastard children? Why don't we just go back to that? Surely that would be easier.

How about the *really* olden days when priests could marry? :tongue: I may be biased in this, but I really think the Orthodox Church has it right - let ordinary priests marry. One Rasputin-looking dude per parish is usually enough to give the kids nightmares anyway.

*softly humms*

altar boy, altar boy
is it gonna be heaven or hell
you can play my organ all night long
if you promise never to tell


:p