Vatican sends
envoys to Detroit seminaries to look for gays

A team of Roman Catholic priests and bishops plans to visit Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit this month as part of Vatican-directed inspections that were started in September of all American seminaries. The visits are one result of the sexual abuse crisis that hit the American church with full force in 2002. The study will give special attention to schools' preparation for the celibate life and fidelity to church teachings on morality. Archdiocese of Detroit officials say the seminary began examining in 2002 how it helped men prepare for a life of celibacy. About 80 seminarians are currently enrolled at Sacred Heart, along with about 400 lay students. "They have had a program in place for several years," Ned McGrath, a spokesman for the archdiocese, told The Detroit News for a Sunday story. Part of the mission of inspectors is to seek any "evidence of homosexuality" at a time when some Catholics have put forward the highly contested premise that gay priests are more likely than straight ones to be responsible for criminal behavior such as serial same-sex molestations. (AP)