U.S.

Ex-Priest: Celibacy Not Realistic

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 30, 2000 / 10:54 AM EST / CBS

Richard Sipe, a former priest who's written three books on sexuality in the Catholic church, agrees with The Kansas City Star's report that AIDS may have killed hundreds of Catholic priests in the United States, and hundreds more may be living with HIV.

Sipes talked with CBS News Correspondent Julie Chen from San Diego.

According to newspaper, the death rate of priests from AIDS is nearly four times that of the general population.

And those numbers may be even higher because the men often suffer in silence.

"Most researchers that I know recognize that priests and clergy generally have a higher proportion of AIDS victims than the general population," Sipe said.

He also thinks the number of priests nationwide who are living with HIV or AIDS is 7 percent higher than the Star's report.

"What these numbers mean is that hundreds, if not thousands of priests are engaging in homosexual activity. In the survey alone, 800 priests were surveyed and nearly 15% who responded said that they are homosexual and 5.2% said they are bisexual," Sipe said.

Sipe points out that sexual orientation doesn't mean activity.

"But our estimates over the years since 1960 have been that about 50% of those who have an orientation are from time to time sexually active."

Sipe says that over the 30 years he's researched this subject, he's met with a lot of "a lot of denial" from the Catholic Church.

"What we call the pelvic issues - whether that be masturbation or sex before marriage or contraception, homosexuality - they're all problems that the Catholic Church deals with very much the way the cigarette companies deal with the problem of nicotine."

Sipe, who married in 1970 and has one son, is not against celibacy. He cites Gandhi as someone whose celibacy was a form of "tremendous service" and dedication.

"But you can't legislate celibacy," he says. "The Church has to reconsider the realities of celibate practiceÂ…I'm against preaching it and not practicing."

Sipe thinks the Church should do more to understand sexuality.

"The church is the one who should have done this study, not resist it," he says. "It's easy to be compassionate with one who's down and out and dying, but to be compassionate with somebody before they get in that situation, that's what the Church must do."

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, doesn't think a Church-sponsored study of sexuality is called for.

"I'm not certain why priests need to get educated on sexuality if they're told they're not suppose to have sex in the first place," he countered, in an interview with CBS Radio News.

Two-thirds of the priests who responded to a nationwide, confidential survey by The Star praised the church for being caring and compassionate to priests with AIDS, but faulted the church for failing to offer early and effective sexual education that mighhave prevented infection in the first place.

"It's not anti-religious to face reality," says Sipe, who says he remains within the Church. "Some people think you're attacking the Church when you point these things out."

"The closer we get to the truth is what religion is all about. The truth sets people free."