Writing about
homosexuality is always difficult. It is
a subject that stirs up some pretty raw emotions in many people. This is of course not helped by those
activists who have chosen to use homosexuality as part of their agenda for the
achievement of a far bigger objective; destroying the Church. So they work hard at creating hype around the subject.
The Church has
always gone to great lengths to make it clear that it condemns and rejects any
malicious speech or actions towards homosexuals.
“It is deplorable that homosexual persons
have been and are the object of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the
Church's pastors wherever it occurs. It
reveals a kind of disregard for others, which endangers the most fundamental
principles of a healthy society. The
intrinsic dignity of each person must always be respected in word, in action
and in law.”[1]
The need to
treat homosexuals with the same level of dignity that is due to any person does
not of course imply that we then move to the other extreme. It does not mean, in the interest of trying
to be sensitive, that we remain silent on the subject of homosexuality and
cease to speak the truth.
We have a duty
to continue to convey the truth and avoiding the subject, instead of
confirming, especially when we are faced with contradictory views on the
subject, is not an acceptable alternative.
“But no pastoral method can be employed which
would give moral justification to these acts on the grounds that they would be
consonant with the condition of such people. For according to the objective moral order,
homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable
finality.”[2]
The Church
teaches clearly that homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity. They are “intrinsically
disordered”[3] and “are contrary to the natural law”[4].
This position of the Church is based on Sacred Scripture.[5]
The Church also
teaches us that: “homosexual persons are
called to chastity” and that it is through support from the community,
prayer and sacramental grace, that homosexuals will attain the virtues that they
need to overcome their inclination.
Sadly, it seems
that because of the unwillingness to speak up about the truth, maybe because of a need to
be politically correct and avoid being branded as homophobic, we have now
arrived at the point where gay marriage is a reality that is not about to
go away. Not only is it a reality, it is
also highly likely that it will not be long before we may find that gay
marriages must by law be permitted within our churches.
Of course the
gay activists assure us that this is not their objective. Yet didn’t they say exactly that when they
asked for civil unions for homosexuals?
No sooner than they had that right, than that was not enough and they
wanted to have the right to change the definition of traditional marriage and
have the right to marry. They will not
stop until they can legally force our Catholic priests to marry them inside a
Catholic Church.
Let’s be clear. Homosexuals have the right to be treated with
absolute dignity. But Catholics also
have the right to be treated with dignity. Mocking our beliefs and forcing us to act
against them is not treating Catholics with the dignity, at least not the
dignity that we are being asked to give to homosexuals.
[1] Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith, Letter To The Bishops Of The Catholic Church On The Pastoral Care Of Homosexual Persons, Oct 1, 1986
Good post Mark.
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