Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Distinction of Interest re Sex

Kind of a slow day, so I put "sex" in the title. It'll get attention until you actually read the post....

Ed Peters, Canonist, makes an observation about the sloppy writing (and thinking, or lack thereof) in the typical news reports.


The sad case of Zimbabwe Archbishop Pius Ncube, who was the only credible opponent of Thug-in-Chief Robert Mugabe, is the occasion to try to remind people that Canon 277 of the Johanno-Pauline Code establishes two related but distinct obligations for clerics in the Western Church, namely, celibacy and continence. As an archbishop, Ncube was bound both to refrain marriage (celibacy) and to refrain from sexual relations with anyone (continence). Ncube has admitted to having sex with a woman (a married woman, as it happens); therefore he has admitted to violating the law of continence; he has not attempted marriage with this woman, and therefore he has not violated his promise of celibacy.

Nevertheless, every single press report I have seen on this case alleges that Ncube violated his promise of celibacy! Not one of them claims he violated the law of continence. This is the opposite of what they should be saying.

Got that? Good. Resume flogging Loophole Louie.

1 comment:

Billiam said...

Dad, what you ask requires research. How dare you expect a 'journalist' to actually get all the facts straight! I can't believe you! Expect them to do their job?! What a neanderthal