The Catholic Church And Different Flags: Ani From a Distance

Priestly Celibacy is a mean business. It is mean because it denies men the chance and the right to beloved as themselves, to be somebody besides servants of God. How can God want His Servants to be celibate,to not be fulfilled as much as it is humanly possible for them to be? How can celibacy help in the work Hewants them to do for Him?
I once loved a priest, and I've never been able to forget the experience. I still think about it eventhough many years have gone by since it happened. I loved this man as I have never loved anybody before orsince. I am not denying it anymore. I can't do that because I can't deny Life. I don't understand how Iever could. Now in hindsight, i value and treasure the feelings that love brought me. I denied them foralmost as long as I loved him. I tried to push them away, push them out of my sight, but they always cameback stronger than ever. And I'm not ashamed. I don't even feel guilty. We lived in a small town and thingswere very difficult. Pretending wasn't easy. It was stressful. At the same time, it didn't take the joyout of the discovery of those feelings. I will never forget them, and I will never forget him.
Now with all the talk about the Crisis in the Church, I know again how wrong Priestly Celibacy is. I lovedthe man and I wanted to marry him. I see nothing wrong with that, but the Church did. I didn't want anaffair where we would be hiding for the rest of our lives. I wanted honesty and acceptance. That didn'thappen. Even now this makes me sad and angry. What reasons can the Chrch authorities have now for lettingthings be as they have been for centuries? Things are changing and they can't stop the clock. Nothing can.People's personal experience should count for something. It should count because it's the experienceof people who have gone through pain and suffering that can't be forgotten. Those people, like myself,know what we're talking about when we tell our stories.