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Press Release, May 16, 2004 ASSOCIATION FOR THE RIGHTS OF CATHOLICS IN THE CHURCH ARCC publishes white paper on “Gays in the Clergy” Meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 2, the Board of Directors for the Association For the Rights of Catholics in the Church (ARCC) approved a response to the February report issued by the National Review Board appointed by the Catholic bishops of the United States. The white paper, entitled “Gays in the Clergy,” charges the National Review Board with a rush to judgment on the link between a supposed gay subculture in the priesthood and the abuses documented in the John Jay Report. According to John Sheehan, National Coordinator for ARCC, there is a danger that “gay-bashing” will replace a serious effort at reform. “We cannot let convenient stereotypes obscure the need for deep structural changes in the church,” he stated. In its paper ARCC calls for a new process to replace the present zero-tolerance policy accepted by the bishops. One provision would be an ecclesiastical equivalent of Megan’s Law making bishops liable for the actions of priests sent on to new parishes or dioceses while making it possible for parishioners to decide the acceptability of someone involved in a long-ago or less serious offense. |
Other voices Challenges Facing Catholicism |
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