Gay priests doc falls into open chasm

The new gay priests document is causing pain and argument, but will its schismatic effect mirror that of dissent on birth control? "We are seeing deja vu of the `Humanae Vitae' crisis," said the Rev. Anthony Figueiredo, referring to the 1968 papal encyclical that defined the church's opposition to artificial birth control and opened deep ideological fissures among Catholics." (Vatican's Gay Policy Gets Liberal Reading - Yahoo! News.) Um, sure--because the number of Catholic couples raising families is totally equivalent to the number of young men becoming priests. Yes, this document affects all Catholics--it will contribute to the shortage of ordained sacramental ministers, and it adds an unpleasant wrinkle to our Church's position on gays and lesbians. But it will most affect men becoming priests, and there's no way these couldn't have already known that the institutional Church position on homosexuality (as separate form the lived experiences and ministries of many Catholics) is not welcoming. Humanae Vitae had such a rumbling effect because it affirmed status quo where a change was seen as possible. Catholics who consider gays and lesbians as equal children of God knew, before this document, that the Church taught differently. Catholics who think gays and lesbians somehow deserve less out of life than others have had their intolerance affirmed. The "schism" Fr. Figueriredo refers to was already there.