George Putnam
Friday, March 22, 2002

In the present furor over pedophilia among priests, we're back again to the question of celibacy. In this reporter's opinion, that is nonsense! Celibacy has always been challenged, but to insert that into the current scandal not only is inaccurate but also avoids that which lies at the heart of this crisis.

Let's get something straight: PEDOPHILIA IS A CHRONIC MENTAL DISORDER. Those afflicted with this illness need psychological counseling and they don't belong in the priesthood.

There are those who consider homosexuality, pedophilia and other aberrations to be closely aligned. And the media are having a field day rather than offering assistance to the beleaguered Roman Catholic Church.

They're asking, "Does the priesthood attract too many gay men?" I'm asking, "Is it safe to hug a kid?"

A priest asked me, "Are we to shrink back from normal gestures of affection?" He found himself hesitating over whether to place his hands on a parishioner's head during Absolution or to straighten an altar-server's collar or to take a neighborhood child to a movie.

After mass, he said, several children ran to him, hugging his legs. He kept his arms straight at his side. "I can't pick them up and hug and squeeze them as I always have."

Some priests now simply shake hands with everyone – children and adults alike. They're playing it safe. But is this good for the church?

Let me share my own experience with a lifelong hero. Ours was one of very few non-Catholic families in St. Mark's parish, St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the heart of the Depression. Those Catholic families shared with us and we shared alike.

Engaging in various athletic contests, I met Neil Cashman, the assistant to Father Corrigan at St. Mark's. He was a handsome fellow, well over 6 feet tall with a shock of red hair, and one hell of an athlete! He was absolutely committed to celibacy, service to God and his fellow man.

When I went to NBC in New York just before WWII, he joined the Army as a chaplain and just after Pearl Harbor, he showed up in New York in uniform.

By a strange quirk, Walter Winchell, Damon Runyon and I met what we thought was an Air Force colonel at the Stork Club. He had more ribbons and decorations than Gen. MacArthur and was said to be incomparable in combat.

Later I introduced him to my friend Neil Cashman. Strangely, the "colonel" lashed out against my friend, stating chaplains contributed nothing, called them "phony" and worse. I was horror-stricken.

Something had to be wrong with the colonel ... and it was. We discovered that he had never served, was able to avoid the draft through his mother, who was head of a draft board, and the uniform and decorations came from a secondhand thrift shop.

My friend, Father Neil Cashman the chaplain, was assigned to the 36th (later the 45th) Division and landed with our troops at Anzio Beach in Italy. The five-month battle is still considered to have been the bloodiest in Europe.

In 1944, the 36th Division was all but wiped out by the Nazis, who had taken over for the Italians. In one 93-man outfit, only three survived. The Germans were ordered to fight to the death, and the U.S. troops suffered 60,000 casualties.

Neil Cashman was wounded three times and hospitalized but was, nonetheless, prepared to join the battle in the Pacific. Shortly the war came to an end. Neil was sent back to a parish in a small town in Minnesota, where he later died as a result of his war wounds.

When I hear the anguish expressed by dedicated young priests who have accepted a commitment to God, the church and all of their fellow man, I think of my wonderful friend Neil Cashman and his unshakable faith and commitment to the priesthood.

And regarding the current problems with the priests in the Catholic Church, Neil would probably say, "I committed myself to celibacy, I have a commitment to God, my church and my fellow man. The commitment was made in complete good faith and with a complete understanding of ALL that it entails. Now let's get on with the business of saving souls."

The legendary George Putnam is 87 years young and a veteran of 67 years as a reporter, broadcaster, commentator ... and is still going strong. George is part of the all-star line-up of Southern California's KPLS Radio – Hot Talk AM 830.