WaPo and then NPR this morning: U.S. Catholic bishops approved guidelines aimed at gay and lesbian Catholics (who are "disordered" apparently), women (Americans are bad bad Catholics: only 4% of American Catholics are using the Church approved "natural" method of contraception), and anyone who doesn't abide by even the silliest of the Church's rules -- Don't you dare give them Communion -- no no no!
I remember when...
the Catholic bishops issued strong statements against war, against capital punishment, against poverty. But I guess that set of priorities just couldn't measure up to the evils of homosexuality, birth control and independent thinking. And let's face it, who cares about priests molesting children when the real issue is (horrors!!) that some priests might actually be having sex with other priests or other adult men. Obviously, 2 consenting adults of the same gender having sex is much more awful in God's sight than a priest sexually fondling a child.
And birth control -- what a terrible evil it has imposed on the world -- that women can actually decide whether or not they want children, that people can have sex without worrying about conceiving a child they are not prepared to care for! And no matter how the Jesuits encourage people to think for themselves, the Church hierarchy just knows that it's not a good idea. Better come down hard on those free-thinkers!