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	Church Order Calls for Look at Seminaries Mt. Angel Seminary Included in Review of Chastity in U.S By Omie Drawhorn Silverton Appeal [Oregon] September 28, 2005 The Roman Catholic Church has ordered an inspection of the 229 seminaries in the United States and according to a soon-to-be-released Vatican document, it may result in the ban of gay seminarians from the priesthood. The Mount Angel Seminary is among those labeled for review in the document, which should be released within the next six weeks. The specifics of the review at Mount Angel Seminary have yet to be determined, said Seminary Rector Fr. Richard Paperini. "The Vatican has scheduled a team to visit in January," Paperini said. "Every faculty member and seminarian will be interviewed. "I'm sure it's a good thing," he added. "Everyone likes to think they have a good school; a review is a good way to see where you're at." He said the review would focus on chastity, but beyond that he is unsure what it will entail. "I have received no official word [from the Vatican] to know what their expectations are," Paperini said, adding he hadn't heard anything about banning gay seminarians. "This is the first I've heard about it," he said. "I don't know how to feel about it." Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, who will oversee the nationwide seminary review, recently told the National Catholic Register that "anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity, or has strong homosexual inclinations" should not be accepted into seminaries, even if their last gay sexual activity was a decade ago. He said a document explaining this would be released soon. The Archdiocese of Portland declined to comment. No one knows the actual number of gay men in the priesthood. Estimates nationally range from 10 percent to 60 percent. The Rev. William Hammelman of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Silverton said sexuality is one of the big issues the seminary has been dealing with, but declined to comment further until he knew more about the matter. The Rev. Tara Wilkins, director of Community of Welcoming Congregations, made up of congregations and faith leaders from across the state of Oregon, said she is concerned by the review. "It assumes that gay priests are responsible for pedophilic acts," she said, adding that by targeting gay priests, the real issue isn't being addressed. "They take a vow of celibacy anyway; why does it matter?" she said. "It will just send them further into secrecy." Rebekah Kassell, communication director for Basic Rights Oregon, a gay rights group, said, "It is sad that the church continues to take positions that further alienate gay people and their friends and family from the faith and perpetuate bias rather than working toward love, inclusion and social justice." The Rev. Donald B. Cozzens, a former seminary rector who wrote that the priesthood "is, or is becoming, a gay profession" in his book, "The Changing Face of the Priesthood: A Reflection on the Priest's Crisis of Soul," is also concerned by the review. "Gay seminarians and faculty leading celibate lives will find their future and careers in jeopardy," he said. "I understand the rationale behind the visit. The Catholic Church doesn't want seminarians to be unwitting accomplices in sex abuse scandals, but the structure with heavy influence on secrecy is setting the stage for disaster." Mary Grant, western regional director of The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, released a statement saying that in the case of banning gay priests, "church officials miss the mark, shift the blame, oversimplify the complex, and protect themselves above all else." Conversely, Mike Sullivan, communications director for Catholics United for Faith, said he thinks the ban is a good idea. "There has been a number of problems with homosexuality in the seminaries, and it's a very positive step in the direction of overcoming the sex abuse crisis," Sullivan said. Local Catholics from the Silverton and Mount Angel area have mixed feelings on the issue. Joyce Manahan of Silverton said sexual orientation shouldn't matter as long as priests are leading celibate lives. "[Homosexuals] are human beings; they have a right to be who they are," she said. "It's not a sin to be gay, but it is a sin to live a gay lifestyle." Lori Golan of Silverton said although she doesn't know much about the coming inspections, she does like the direction in which the church is moving. "Since I've started coming to the abbey the flavor has changed a lot," she said. "They used to be more liberal bent, but now it's come to the point where they're turning out better priests." Bernie Palmer and Laurie Jiricek have vowed to follow the church no matter which way it decides to go. "If [banning gay priests] was something the church did after going into prayer and discerning, I would accept it," said Jiricek, who works at Mount Angel Abbey. "I follow the church's teachings without too much discernment; the people in authority made the decision." Palmer agreed. "If you disagree with the pope, then you aren't Catholic," Palmer said.
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