Donald Cozzens, Priest Who Pressed Church From Within, Dies at 82

The Rev. Donald Cozzens, a Roman Catholic clergyman who challenged the religion connected its civilization of secrecy and its denial that it protected priests who molested children, died connected Dec. 9 successful Mayfield Heights, Ohio. He was 82.

His sister, Maryellen Dombek, said the origin was complications of pneumonia brought connected by Covid-19. He had been vaccinated, she said, and was healthy, inactive playing racquetball and riding his bike, erstwhile helium succumbed to the microorganism successful a infirmary successful a substance of days.

In his astir influential book, “The Changing Face of the Priesthood” (2000), helium was among the archetypal to research the basal causes of clerical intersexual maltreatment and however the religion had covered up the crimes of predatory priests.

Separately successful the book, helium highlighted a taboo taxable that everyone knew astir but that nary 1 discussed — that an progressively disproportionate fig of priests were gay. “The request cheery priests person for relationship with different cheery men has created a cheery subculture successful astir of the larger U.S. diocese,” helium wrote.

He did not reason against the ordination of cheery men; indeed, helium said galore cheery priests were exceptionally empathetic and effective. But helium said that their ample numbers fundamentally established the priesthood arsenic a “gay profession,” which helium said could person a destabilizing effect connected consecutive priests and discourage them from ministry.

The book, which was translated into six languages, was arguable little for its contented than for the information that the writer was a fig of immoderate authority; astatine the time, Father Cozzens was president-rector of Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology successful Cleveland.

“Some said I was hurting the priesthood and was being disloyal to my member priests,” helium said successful a 2018 interrogation with Cleveland.com. “But determination were galore radical — a cardinal, bishops, priests and laity — who told maine I was penning astir issues that needed to beryllium addressed.”

Despite his challenges to the church’s teachings, Father Cozzens was not a rogue clergyman but alternatively a loyalist who remained successful bully standing. He said his writings sprang from his emotion for the religion and a tendency to marque it healthier.

“I constitute to person the scholar of nothing,” helium wrote successful the instauration to “Faith That Dares to Speak” (2004). Convincing is the occupation of politicians and debaters, helium said; code that rises from religion should service arsenic an invitation to ponder and consider.

Father Cozzens’s acceptance of cheery priests was astatine likelihood with the authoritative church. Under Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican restated Catholic teaching that being cheery was “objectively disordered” and that cheery men should not beryllium admitted to the priesthood. Pope Francis has signaled a much tolerant attitude, saying that cheery priests, similar each priests, must stay celibate oregon permission the ministry.

Two years aft “The Changing Face of the Priesthood” was published, the religion was engulfed successful the clergy maltreatment scandal, successful which it was recovered to person protected hundreds of priests who had sexually molested children successful their care. The ungraded started successful Boston and dispersed nationwide.

“That framed the remainder of his enactment and penning connected the priesthood, due to the fact that it was specified a melodramatic manifestation of each the problems helium was seeing,” Edward P. Hahnenberg, a prof of systematic theology astatine John Carroll University successful Cleveland and a adjacent person of Father Cozzens’, said successful a telephone interview.

“As immoderate much blimpish religion figures wanted to blasted cheery priests for the maltreatment scandal,” helium added, “he made it wide that the contented was much astir unhealthy patterns of authorization and power.”

Father Cozzens examined those patterns successful his adjacent 2 books — “Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis successful the Church” (2002) and “Faith That Dares to Speak.” He described the corrosive effects of denial and soundlessness and called for honorable treatment astir however its enactment structure, which helium called feudal and a cult of secrecy, could beryllium reformed to marque it much accountable.

Father Cozzens grappled with different issues facing the religion arsenic well, including the deficiency of women successful enactment and the perchance harmful effects of mandatory celibacy, which helium examined successful “Freeing Celibacy” (2006).

He himself had been faithful to his vow of celibacy, helium said, but helium thought it should beryllium optional. He saw nary rational oregon spiritual ground for the mandate; until the 12th century, priests and bishops had been escaped to marry. He believed that the celibacy request was mostly liable for the crisp driblet successful the fig of priests successful caller decades. He was uncertain if the mandate had played a relation successful the intersexual maltreatment scandal, saying it whitethorn person been a origin successful immoderate cases. But either way, helium said, helium believed that insisting connected celibacy could yet spell the extremity of the priesthood.

Donald Bernard Cozzens was calved connected May 17, 1939, successful Cleveland, the oldest of 4 children of Bernard and Florence (Gaye) Cozzens. His parent was a ineligible caput and aboriginal a bookkeeper. His begetter was a salesman for a state institution and besides did bureau enactment for a section cemetery.

Donald knew aboriginal connected that helium wanted to beryllium a priest. “In archetypal grade, helium would play priest,” his sister, who was not yet calved astatine the clip but who had heard the household stories, said successful an interview. “He would usage vanilla wafers and unreal helium was giving communion and marque our different brothers perceive to him.”

After precocious schoolhouse helium entered the seminary astatine Borromeo College, present Borromeo Seminary, successful Wickliffe, which serves the Diocese of Cleveland. He graduated successful 1961, past earned his master’s of divinity astatine Saint Mary Seminary successful 1965, erstwhile helium was ordained. He received a master’s grade successful spiritual acquisition astatine the University of Notre Dame successful 1973 and a doctorate successful counseling science astatine Kent State University successful 1976.

Father Cozzens served successful parish ministry for 9 years and held galore teaching posts and authoritative appointments wrong the diocese. He served arsenic rector, president and prof of pastoral theology astatine Saint Mary’s from 1996 to 2001.

After penning “The Changing Face of the Priesthood,” helium recovered it hard to clasp a enactment relation astatine the seminary. He stepped down arsenic president-rector and joined the module of John Carroll, wherever helium became writer successful residence and a prof successful the spiritual studies section until his status successful 2016. He remained an progressive clergyman until his death.

In summation to his six nonfiction books, Father Cozzens wrote 3 enigma novels that progressive galore of the matters helium examined successful his nonfiction.

“In galore ways,” Dr. Hahnenberg said, “he was raising issues astatine a section level that Pope Francis has tried to rise astatine a cosmopolitan level: ‘How is the Catholic Church going to beryllium engaged with the satellite successful a constructive mode successful the 21st century? How volition the religion curate to its people? What dependable volition laic radical person successful decisions successful the church?’ To the end, Don was inactive seeking answers.”