Divine secret of the Ya-Ya priesthood

Ex-priest Paul Collins' name must be in the rolodexes of many Australian journalists under the heading 'Vatican, reliable critic of'. While softly spoken, he can be depended on to criticize most attempts by the Church to assert its traditional teachings. Last night, on ABC news, however, he seemed to be over-reaching his expertise (no transcript, so you'll have to take my word for it) when he asserted that gay men actually made better priests because they were more oriented towards 'service' and had better empathy. More and better than, what, exactly? He didn't say. Shetland ponies, maybe? Ohhhhh...than straight men... of course.

I like to think that the gay men I know would find this statement just as ludicrous and patronizing as I did. As well, it buys into the happy-clappy notion that priests are meant to be sob-sisters, whose primary job is to make you feel good about yourself. I don't recall that part in the Gospels where Jesus advises the Apostles: 'Those whose low self-esteem and poor self-image you amend, they are amended...those whose frowns you turn upside down, they are turned upside down...'