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Gay men can train as priests but must be celibate, say Italian bishops
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2025
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This has always been the way. If you're super Catholic and really believe that stuff, realizing you're gay means you aren't going to have a bunch of kids with a wife and feel fulfilled. It's a "challenge from God" and you decide the only acceptable course of action is to assume you can be celibate for the next 80 years and make your family proud.
Then oops! You're so repressed you diddle kids.
The movie "Doubt" covers this pretty well.
Source: was raised Catholic and knew two very religious closeted gay men that became priests. I don't want to suggest that being gay is wrong or that gay men are more likely to diddle kids, but I am suggesting that sexual repression causes sexual problems, Catholicism is stupid for enforcing celibacy past the 1700s, and all religion is a lie. Fite me irl, bro.
Is celibacy really that difficult? I've never had sex and I don't feel like it's particularly a problem... once in a while it's frustrating, but lots of things about life are occasionally frustrating. I actually think if I felt like I had a good reason, instead of "I just don't feel like meeting people," it would be less frustrating, because I could tell myself I was doing it for God or whatever instead of just being a recluse.
Sounds like you're a bit on the ace spectrum. Nothing wrong with that, but yes, most people find celibacy difficult.
For this topic, I think there's an extra layer on top of that where it's not just celibacy, it's an active denial of your sexuality, to an extent.