Laura Bassett on the power of the bishops.
Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women
finds it troubling that a group of men that has historically denied women the opportunity to participate in leadership positions is exercising so much power over such a broad range of women’s reproductive health legislation.
“Clearly there’s a problem when men take such an interest in the sexual function of women,” she said. “There’s something deeply off about it.”
Especially those men – men who are officially celibate, men at the top of a men-only hierarchy, men who have spent their entire adult lives in an all-male profession – and, of course, men who think they’re taking orders from the Topp Man, God Himself.
The Catholic clergy are professional virgins. They have no clue about normal peoples’ sexual behaviors. Which is one major reason why the Catholic laity generally pay no attention to what the clergy says about sex. Unfortunately, the clergy, especially the hierarchy, are given undue respect by the laity. As a result, everyone nods their heads when the bishop speaks and mutters “how true.” The laity may not obey the bishops, but that’s a private thing. In public, the laity support the bishops’ words as gospel.
Unfortunately “celibate” only means that the priesthood cannot marry. They can be as unchaste as they can get away with.