Quebec bishops to dialogue with 19 priests about homosexuality

Published: 2006-03-15

TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec (CNS) -- Quebec's bishops said they want to maintain a spirit of unity as they enter into dialogue with 19 Quebec priests who published a letter of dissent on homosexuality. The priests' letter "puts its finger on a wound in our society, a complex problem, to which we must give attention. There is a larger call for a dialogue about this phenomenon of homosexuality and, on this point, we welcome this invitation to reflection and to dialogue," said Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City. Cardinal Ouellet, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal and Bishop Gilles Cazabon of Saint-Jerome, president of the Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops, spoke at a March 9 press conference in Trois-Rivieres, during the Quebec bishops' four-day semi-annual meeting in neighboring Cap-de-la-Madeleine. The priests' letter, which has drawn international attention, appeared in the Feb. 26 issue of Montreal's largest newspaper, La Presse. It sharply criticized the Catholic Church regarding its teaching on homosexuality. In particular, the letter criticized the Canadian bishops' statement on same-sex marriage and the recent Vatican document that deals with the admission of homosexual candidates to the seminary. It also questioned the church teaching that homosexual acts are immoral and said the church must evolve in its position on these issues.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .