A MAGAZINE report that says priests are not preaching what they are supposed to practise has enraged the Vatican.

L’Espresso reporter Riccardo Bocca says that what some priests tell Catholics in the confessional does not conform to church doctrine.Bocca visited 24 churches in five large Italian cities and confessed sins he’d never committed, or invented ethical dilemmas for the priest.

In one confessional, in Naples, he told the priest he felt guilty over his father’s death after the family allowed a doctor to secretly disconnect a respirator.

Though euthanasia is condemned by the church, he claims the priest told him not to worry too much because God would be the ultimate arbiter.

“If I had a wife, a father or a son who for years was alive only because of artificial life support, I would pull the plug, too,” said the priest, who then gave him absolution.

On homosexuality, one priest allegedly told him: “Well, homosexuality is a tendency which is a valid human expression. There are even homosexual priests and lesbian nuns.”

Apart from abortion, which all 24 priests condemned, he received conflicting advice on issues such as divorce, stem cell research and prostitution.

The author said the article tried to show the difficulties priests face, but the Vatican reacted with vehemence.

The Vatican’s newspaper, l’Osservatore Romano, said the report had profaned the sacrament of penance.

“Shame — there is no other word to express our shock over something that is disgusting, unworthy, disrespectful and particularly offensive,” the newspaper said.

 REUTERS

Comment: Isn’t it time the church took a good look at where it stands? The world keeps evolving but they want to stay true to the “word” of more than 2000 years ago. It’s ridiculous… they are going to lose support and in the end alot more if they don’t take a look at their surroundings and act accordingly.