The clergy abuse scandal has prompted frank discussion of homosexuality, a topic that has traditionally been taboo within the Catholic Church. Evidence suggests there are a significant number of gay men in the priesthood, and many homosexuals among the laity. The question of how the church should respond to gays within its ranks has been much debated. Here is a selection of viewpoints from the Globe.

Christopher Schiavone My life as a gay priest A former priest in the Boston Archdiocese speaks out about secrecy, scandal, and being gay in the church. Donald Cozzens The clergy's buried truths The predominance of male teenage victims raises anew a thorny issue -- the presence of significant numbers of homosexually oriented men in the priesthood. Chuck Colbert The spectrum of belief As the clergy abuse scandal has grown, the topic of gay priests, gay men, and lesbians in the life of the Catholic Church is suddenly front and center. Eileen McNamara For church, a false issue It is not the existence of gay priests but the reticence of Catholicism to address sexuality that has led the church into its current crisis. M. Thomas Shaw and Bud Cederholm Affirming gay and lesbian priests We recognize that faith communities have the right to ordain whomever they choose, but we reject the exclusion of any person from holy orders on the basis of sexual orientation.