AIDS and death in the priesthood
by Gilbert Oskaboose

My, my, my, and how the mighty have fallen. Guess they dont make Jesuits like they did in the old days, or is it just that the current lot isnt up to concealing their unsavory and unchristian-like lifestyles as well as they did in the old days. Another sign of the times perhaps?

Just finished reading a three part series by Kansas City Star reporter Judy L. Thomas entitled AIDS in the Priesthood. You can find it on the Web at www. Kansas City Star. Its public knowledge now. Seems like the buggers are dying like flies all over the country at a rate of seven times the national average. Hundreds of Roman Catholic priests have died of AIDS in the last decade - and they died alone, terrified about their families and congregations ever finding out about them. Terrified of their orders and superiors ever finding out Denial even unto Death. My use of the word bugger is entirely appropriate. That is exactly what they died from: buggery, carnal up-the-Hershey-Highway "sexual" intercourse with other perverted priests. Charming, eh?

And why did the Kansas City Star even run the series of articles? Was it to attack and embarrass the Roman Catholic Church? I dont think so. The behaviors originated with the priests, not with the mass media. What about the priests right to privacy? What about the publics right to know? No one is spitefully and viciously "outing" these priests. No names were used without personal consent or family approval. In a nation-wide poll the Kansas City Star has provided a national forum for Catholic priests to share their experiences and private thoughts on the subject of AIDS. 800 priests have accepted the invitation and have spoken openly about their own struggles with AIDS or about the death of friends, colleagues or "loved ones". Many foolishly believe that the church itself can help address and stem the epidemic. The only thing "outing" them is Death itself.

Im a born again heathen struggling to get back to my own Ojibway spirituality. I abandoned Christianity a long time ago. One teaching I still remember is Jesus saying "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Makes perfect sense to me so let us be perfectly clear that Im not chucking shit or stones at anyone. If they want to spend their time up somebody elses backside and to die accordingly then thats their business. Im just doing my regular social commentary on a societal phenomena.

What do First Nations think about this? Priests are in and around your community and they do have access to your children. It was priests, including the Jesuits, who used and abused your children in native residential schools for over a century. Innocent children were horribly abused physically, spiritually, emotionally, sexually, culturally and intellectually for over a century. At present there are over 3000 lawsuits ongoing in Canada to address this flagrant and evil abuse of children and nations. Terrible things happened in those schools. They will not get away with it. How can anyone in their right mind be made aware of these travesties and still cling to what passes for true Christianity these days?

Jeez, wake up and smell the coffee. Lets try and understand what goes on in the real world and conduct yourself accordingly. Perhaps your relationship with God, whatever you conceive Him/Her to be, should be a personal one, just you and the Creator, no one else.

Let the dead bury the dead - and move on in your own life.