The ex-men in black

Just when you think you’ve heard it all regarding the scandalous behavior of priests and the Church’s hierarchy, it emerges somewhere else. Just recently, the Church leadership in the Philippines said it is looking into 200 accusations there.

But despite the number of cases, it’s not just about sex abuse and the coverup of these crimes. It runs much deeper in the secretive culture of the Church and so needs to be examined from a broader perspective. We’ve chosen to look at the issue of celibacy and the Church, and to do it with a national perspective.

All across the United States, well-educated and committed priests are flocking away from the Church. One report indicates that over a thousand men leave the priesthood each year, most of them to marry. A new generation of priests is not filling the void. Perhaps it is time to re-examine the need for celibacy, which was adopted back in the Middle Ages because Rome was worried priest’s children would inherit Church property.

We have found three stories of ex-priests living in the Sacramento area that provide some insight. The Independent Media Institute and the CEO of this paper, Jeff VonKaenel, have also put together a project to address this subject nationwide. Over 30 weekly newspapers from across the country have joined in and are covering the issue of priests and mandatory celibacy in their communities. There are also organizations of members of the Catholic Church who are meeting this week to discuss the issue and find a way to fix the acute priest shortage.

If you want to read more stories regarding ex-priests from around the country, please visit www.Alternet.org.