I am choosing the Boston Herald, not know as a liberal paper, as the example of how this is being spun. The headline reads, “Priest’s hooker arrest rocks Chelmsford parish.” Okay I am sure this true but what a sensational headline. What the story will not tell you is he was arrested with 7 others who responded to an ad on Craigs List. Why is it that the other 6 get a free pass but this one person gets the headlines? Why is it that the other six will all be arraigned together but this one will be arraigned separately?
Now again not defending his actions, because he went there looking for sex, but according to reports in various press outlets, he responded to the ad to come to a motel in New Hampshire. The ad was placed by the police. He did not exchange money with anyone, nor have sex with anyone. He was arrested for basically just showing up.
This story has already renewed the call to make celibacy in the Roman Church optional. Okay we in the Orthodox Church have optional celibacy and I can tell you we have many, many dysfunctional clergy families. I can also tell you that if I was married I would not be able to be here as priest because this parish could not afford a married priest, so they would not have a priest if a celibate priest was not available to them. This really has nothing to do with clerical celibacy and more to do with formation and on going spiritual direction. It also has to do with decisions and the ramifications of those decisions. This priest made a bad decision and he will have to pay the price for that. Maybe even spend a little time in jail. I also think it makes him a little more human. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the grace of God and priests are no different.
Please pray for this priest. Pray for all of the priests out there. Are there some bad apples yes there are. But thanks be to God there are more good apples than bad ones. Every time this happens the priesthood, and let me say I feel it as well and I am not a Roman Priest, take a little hit. Each time I go outside in my “priest clothes” I wonder if people are looking at me and wondering if I am on my way to molest someone. Right or wrong this is how I feel and I know many priests who feel the same way.
The Church is under attack by the forces of darkness. Darkness cannot stand the light and tries to extinguish the light. That is what is happening here. We need to stand up to the darkness by being the light and let our light shine bright. The light will beat the darkness every time.
I think being a priest is like being married.When you take certain vows,wheather they be verbal or assumed,you say I will be with no other person except my spouse or my God.
When you start to cheat,and it is cheating,then you need to say is where I am where I am supose to be and decide if maybe being divorced or becomeing a minister,so you can be married and still preach, is in your best interest.
We all think we have made the right choices when we are young,sometimes they are not.
To ask someone to not marry and not have companionship,in some peoples mind,is just to much.
Celibacy is a choice and not every one is given the gift of this way of life.
St.Paul said "some people are born unixes,some are made and some make the choice" but not all people have the gift to be unixes.
Sometimes when we have an issue and we don't face it at some point it will blow up in our faces and then we have no choice but to be embarraesed and face it.Sometimes people do things,like this priest did,so they can get caught because they become out of control and can't stop themselves.linda