Will Catholic bishops defrock erring priests?

Monitor, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ newsletter, has reported that 100 bishops and archbishops are now holding their 85th plenary assembly in Tagaytay City and the most controversial item in their agenda is what action to take on priests who have been guilty of committing sexual offenses on members of their parish.

The role of any responsible person in any vocation or profession is to set an example of abiding by all the requirements of his chosen calling or career. For a priest, we have no doubt that the most difficult thing is to maintain their vow of chastity. If they do not or cannot maintain that vow, they should leave the priesthood. First, because their victims will certainly be one of their parishioners. Second, their role as a confessor puts them in a situation where they can take advantage of the women who confess their sins.

The problem is actually worldwide. In the United States, the decision of the church was to unfrock about 200 clergymen who had violated their vow of chastity by having homosexual or – worse – pedophilic relations with their parishioners. We don’t know what action the Philippine Catholic bishops will take. Some priests have fathered children. The erring priest should leave the priesthood and marry the mother of the child so that he will not grow up to be a bastard. To be an illegitimate child is bad enough, but it is not the fault of the child. As the saying goes, "There are no illegitimate children – only illegitimate parents."

In the case of priests who have had sexual relations with his parishioners, they should at least be exposed. We don’t believe that anyone would want to confess or receive communion from any priest who has violated his vow of chastity. It is definitely a sin that shows that they were not made for the priesthood. What we fear most is if one of these cases reaches our courts. We want people to hold priests in high esteem. But one big scandal can ruin the image of the church itself.

The Catholic bishops of the Philippines are supposed to come out with their course of action by July 8. They do not have to publicly announce the names of the priests who could not live up to the high expectations of their chosen vocation. But definitely, they should be eliminated from their ranks.

As we have said before, Chapter 7 verses 8 and 9 of the letter of Paul to the Corinthians is very clear on the matter. It advises the unmarried to abide. If they cannot, then, they should marry, for it is better to be married than to burn. It is better for one to leave the priesthood than to make a mockery of the vow of chastity.