Place emphasis on motherhood, not priests
by Bernie Scheffler, ne news editor

    It seems ironic that the American media, who were quick to defend unnecessarily persecuted Arabs after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, have just as quickly condemned the entire Catholic Church for its recent troubles.

   Perhaps they should do some thinking and more research before they condemn so many people for the crimes of a few men.

   Granted, the priests have been accused of heinous crimes. The damage inflicted on the victims and the Catholic Church is enormous.

   But, do the sins of a few men pull the entire church down into "moral bankruptcy,” as one journalist called it?

   I certainly hope not.

   Easter, a time when Christians celebrate the central tenet of their faith, has just passed. Now is a perfect time for the Church to come together and remember that for which it stands.

   It is not the time, however, for knee-jerk reactions to a crisis.

   Critics of the Church are calling for two radical changes to Catholic tradition. They think that priests should be allowed to marry, no longer taking a vow of celibacy, and that Catholic women should be allowed to be ordained as priests.

   That reasoning, however, has some major flaws.

   First of all, nobody has offered a shred of evidence that married men are less likely to be pedophiles. In fact, many married men molest their own children.

   Besides, the celibate priesthood is soundly based in religious tradition. The vows are intended as a sacrifice to bring one closer to God. By eschewing the responsibilities of wife and family, a priest is better able to guide his extended family, the Church.

   Women won’t be in the priesthood any time soon, either. There is another form of ministry open to women, excluding men. Those ministers are called nuns. Nuns are the “mothers” of the Church, just as priests are the “fathers,” but they are dwindling in number.

   In addition, Catholicism in America has gradually lessened its emphasis on Mary, mother of Jesus.

   Perhaps it is the absence of a clear view of motherhood, and not celibate priests, that is plaguing the Church today.

   The break-down of the family is something the Church cannot endure. As family continues to spiral downward in importance to Americans, fewer Catholics are hearing a call to the ministry.

   Parents once were excited to have a son who showed interest in the priesthood or a daughter who wanted to enter a convent.

   In today’s material society, however, parents, often single, seem more interested in pushing their children toward financial success, instilling them with dog-eat-dog values.

   And with fewer men becoming priests, is it any wonder that bad ones are becoming more prevalent?