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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

BBC made shocking comment about newly-ordained lesbian priest

24 replies

Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:23

Well, this is not really a big topic, but I wanted to write about it because it felt so off.
BBC world was just making a report about a woman priest in America who has just been ordained as a priest. Now I don'T know much about religion but apparently it's a sect of Catholicism.
Fine, so far. IT's interesting that a woman is a priest.

THen comes the shocker. The presenter said, " Considering the recent questions that have come alight regarding priests' sexuality, this is going to cause more issues for Catholics"

WTF

Is the presenter seriously putting a lesbian woman in the same bracket at those male priests who have been sexually abusing children? Lots of paedos are heterosexual and married. THe chance of a woman having a sexual threat towards children is much much lower than any man, straight, gay or whatever. I know its the issue of her being a woman here, but I don't see why the reporter had to connect this to the recent cases of paedophilia we've been hearing about in the Catholic church. I just felt the report was trying to say "see, women have dubious sexuality too". What on earth was the point?

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Tortington · 23/05/2010 01:26

it refers to gay priests - its obvious to me at least.

wondering what sect of catholacism has women priests.

if by some miricle atholics had women priests, celebacy would still remain and therefore the sexuality of said priest is a moot subject

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CarmenSanDiego · 23/05/2010 01:28

Surely they're referring to homosexuality being a controversial issue in the Catholic church, rather than anything to do with predelictions towards children The media wouldn't normally refer to paedophilia as 'sexuality.'

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:29

Catholic priest's should technically be celibate so why people need to know someones sexuality or why she feels the need to let out her sexuality seems confusing.

Are you sure it was Catholic?

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:30

you mean, anyone who swears to celibacy might have dodgy sexuality?

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:31

I'm sure she was Catholic.

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:32

YOu should have seen the protests outside as she was being ordained. Another sect has splintered off because of it or something.

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:34

Carmen, why refer to the recent scandals in the context of a lesbian woman becoming a priest? How do those two things connect?

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:37

they said "this has come at a time when priest's sexuality is an issue" or somesuch. The word "sexuality" was definitely used, which is why my ears pricked up and is the main reason why I'm shocked.

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CarmenSanDiego · 23/05/2010 01:38

I'm only going by the quote you've provided. But I would /not/ take that quote to be referring to the paedophile scandals. I would assume it referred to questions about male gay priests being ordained. I don't really understand why you have made the link to paedophilia.

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:40

I think they are referring to how ordaining someone who is known to be homosexual as 'bad press' for the Catholic church.

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CarmenSanDiego · 23/05/2010 01:40

The media don't usually use the word 'sexuality' as a euphemism for paedophilia. They usually mean sexuality to refer to gender preference (hetero/homo/bi).

I really think they're just saying that the Catholic Church is divided on whether gay priests should be ordained, so not only is it controversial that this woman is being ordained because she's a woman, but also because she is gay which is a separate controversy.

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nooka · 23/05/2010 01:41

I don't think that this story can be quite right because women cannot be priests in the Catholic church. Now there is a movement in the States called the Roman Catholic Women Priests, they are themselves Catholic (although not in any way recognised) and they do use Catholic ceremonies to ordain their priests, but they are then automatically excommunicated by papal decree for doing so. I wonder if the news report was referring to the woman who was recently denied a Catholic funeral because she had been "ordained" (she was also a lesbian, but this was not particularly the issue).

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:43

I agree with that, Carmen, But why did they have to put this news into context of the recent scandals. What is the connection, I mean?

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:44

Do you have the link?

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:46

The only one i could find is Anglican church news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8398043.stm

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:47

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8398043.stm

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:47

You are right, it's not Catholicism. I just googled her and found small article

Which begs the question of why the BBC felt they had to connect this story to the proliferation of paedos in the Catholic church. What is the connection? I thought it was because she was Catholic but its not even that

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:49

I put this in the feminist section because I thought it was weird that the BBC was connecting those paedo priests to this woman and I though it must be because they were Catholic. Turns out she's not even catholic. Why did the BBC do that then?

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:52

Carmen, I didn'T make the link to the Catholic church. The BBC did that. That is why I started this thread.

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:54

Okay [may have got it wrong]

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 01:55

Hmm i don't really see paedophilia referenced here it's just that the Anglican church has an issue with ordaining people who are homosexual (or at least openly homosexual)or at least a section of it does.

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Sakura · 23/05/2010 01:57

Yes, I must have got it wrong. I thought the reporter was linking the two, but obviously not. I have no clue about religion and thought it was Catholicism.

S
S
S
Sorry

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CarmenSanDiego · 23/05/2010 02:21

No worries

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Sammyuni · 23/05/2010 09:05

No problem

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