The abbot of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, Urban Federer, 50, has called for a more differentiated view of homosexuality than that put forward by Pope Francis in his latest book interview.
He was reacting to the Pope’s statement to Fr Fernando Prado in “The Strength of Vocation” that if priests and religious men and women were living a “double life” it would be better of they left the ministry. “As far as homosexual priests and Religious are concerned, one must differentiate whether they live as celibate lives as their heterosexual brothers and sisters or whether, under the umbrella of their cassocks or habits they act out their sexuality in such a way that it is not compatible with celibacy”, Federer told the news site 'St Galler Tagblatt' on 5 December.
As a teacher, the abbot said he was fully aware of the great pressure young people were under to define themselves sexually nowadays but this overtaxed many of them, he pointed out and added that he thought that was “exactly” what the Pope had meant when he said homosexuality had become “fashionable”.
Sometimes Francis’ emotions reacted more quickly than he was able to weigh his words, Federer said.
As the tenth-century Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln is a territorial abbey, the abbot is the equivalent of a bishop and only responsible directly to the Pope.
Loading ...
