I can’t help but wonder if Jesus’ teaching on divorce applies here. He cites hardness of heart as the basis for a concession.
When human limitation reduces what would otherwise be a good and right situation to one that is abusive and untenable, it’s time for a step back.
Maybe a vow of celibacy is a good and right thing. But if you can’t keep it you shouldn’t make it. And maybe you need to take a reasonable look at things and understand when it’s time to step away. If the fruit coming from a situation is desperately wrong, the solution is rarely as simple as, ‘try harder’.
Such a sad story for St Patrick’s Day!
Wasn’t it C S Lewis, the Irishman, who said that times are getting darker, but that the stars shine brighter as the night gets darker and I think that that is a paraphrase of some passage from Isaiah, no?
I’m also reminded of the Cape Breton folk-singer, Buddy MacDonald, who wrote the song about “It’s Getting Dark Again.”
You might be interested in the papal letter in response to the whole thing.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html
There are lots of big questions around, “What is the right response to something like this?” that are relevant to us day-to-day people, too.