Embracing Homosexuals into the Catholic Fold

Roan had been an altar boy when he was ten. Today, although he no longer serves at the altar, he goes to church dutifully on Sundays and Wednesdays and on holy days of obligation. He is accompanied to church by Buddy, his partner of five years.

Roan is devoutly Catholic but he is also unashamedly homosexual. When pressed about his sexual orientation and his faith, he shrugs his shoulders, for as far back as he can remember, he has always been homosexual. He believes that God and not any religious doctrine will be his judge. When asked if he feels accepted, he doesn't know. Believe it or not, in remote parishes outside of the United States, priests still preach incorrectly from the pulpit, if only in an implied manner. For Roan, it is hurtful.

Actually, according to present Church teachings, there should be no conflict between faith and one's sexual orientation. The Church agrees with the field of psychology that gender identity, one's concept of self as male or female, is a function of nature and that it in turn determines one's sexual orientation. According to the 1998 NCCB Bishops's Committee on Marriage and Family, "Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen."

It is with this belief of homosexuality as a normal sexual orientation that the Catholic Church urges everyone to regard homosexuals as human being worthy of equal respect, compassion and acceptance. Homosexuals, just like any other person should be given the opportunity to express and share his faith with others and the chance to be of service to the church community. God's unconditional love extends to everyone and acts of discrimination and prejudice should not be tolerated.

What the Church actually puts forth is that the homosexual orientation in itself is not evil and not sinful. It is the homogenital sex that happens that is purportedly unacceptable to God. The Church is adamant that sex should be an act performed only by heterosexual married couples because it is the only option which is open to the gift of life. The Church has always remained true to its age-old belief that couples marry and that sex is therefore an act that should be reserved for a married man and woman. Since homogenital sex is a closed book to the Church then apparently so is same sex marriage: because homosexuals should not have sex, they should not marry.

What the church teaches further is that homosexuals should practice chastity. Chastity they say is more than just curbing one's sexual urges. It also means integrating prayer and service into who he is.

This is where the difficulty begins for homosexual Catholics. Homosexuality in itself is defined as a sexual orientation in which one is sexually attracted to people of the same sex. To be a chaste homosexual therefore is to go against the very nature of homosexuality itself. The issue becomes even more convoluted when we go back to the Church's statement that homosexuality is a God given orientation. If it is therefore natural to have a homosexual orientation then why should homosexuals fight against their very nature?

Regardless of all the logical acrobatics however, the Church remains adamant. Accept the homosexual but not the homosexual act.