The Joy of the Truth

Yesterday I gave a half-hour presentation on the Church’s teaching on homosexuality to a gathering of our parish’s youth group members. This is one subject that I almost always expect disagreement on — either from those who think the Church is intolerant or from those who are just uncomfortable with the whole subject. However, more often than not I am pleasantly surprised to find that the Church’s teachings, when fully explained, are easily accepted.

One of the youth from last night offered a wonderful example. She told me that she had never understood the Christian reaction to homosexuals before, but now she understood it. She was pleasantly surprised at how loving the Church is toward homosexuals. She told me that it made sense to her now why homosexuality is called “disordered” and why that is not an insult.

Church teaching on homosexuality stresses the difference between same-sex attraction and the homosexual lifestyle. Same-sex attraction is disordered because it creates desires not ordered toward procreation and family. However, it is not a sin because – no matter what causes it – this attraction is not chosen, but part of fallen human nature. The homosexual lifestyle is choosing to act on these disordered desires and is therefore a sin. The key principle here is that human beings do not have to act on every desire or impulse, but can choose self-mastery instead.

Church teaching stresses that the Catholic response to people with same-sex attraction is to be one of compassion. This means taking an attitude of solidarity, recognizing that everyone’s sexuality is disordered to some degree because of original sin, that we all struggle to control disordered desires, and that we are all called to the same goals (chastity and holiness). We must always treat everyone with the respect that is due to human beings created in the image of God. Same-sex attraction, or even a chosen, sinful homosexual lifestyle, does not remove human dignity. Finally, we must love. Love means to want what is authentically good for the other. For our brothers and sisters with same-sex attraction, this means that we want them to seek healing (if healing is possible) and self-mastery.

While some people in our culture will still see such teaching as judgmental (“who are you to decide what is authentically good for somebody else?”), the Church’s judgment that same-sex attraction is disordered and that chosen homosexual activity is sinful is based on natural law and its call to solidarity, respect and love is based on the teachings of Christ. The positive response I received from members of our youth group was in response to the entire package of Church teachings.

This topic turned out to be quite timely. The United States Bishops Conference just released a statement on pastoral care for homosexuals that reinforces the Church’s sense of love and solidarity for people with same-sex attraction, and British bishops adopted a statement warning pastors to be sensitive toward “gay parishioners.”

The interesting thing about the statement made by the British bishops is that it drew support from some homosexual activists, including Peter Tatchell:

The advice was welcomed by gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell as a ‘positive initiative which will bring great comfort to gay Catholics and their families’.

He said: ‘Its sympathetic, understanding message is a big improvement on the past homophobia of some Catholic pronouncements on homosexuality.’

However, he said the ‘laudable change of tone’ was undermined by the ‘homophobic content of the Catholic Catechism’ and by Pope Benedict XVI’s opposition to gay marriage.

The fact is that, while the statement by the British bishops is perhaps a little overstated, the bishops of both countries are simply restating constant Church teachings. The Church is not homophobic – it never has been and it never will be. It does not fear homosexuality. It simply sticks with the truth that same-sex attraction is a disordered form of sexuality, that chosen homosexual acts are sinful, and that people with same-sex attractions are to be treated with the same love and mercy as the rest of us sinners are.

It is a position of authentic love.
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