Church must compassionately and boldly share the truth about homosexuality
Fr. Michael Shields
“It looks so good how can it be wrong?”
This was a comment by a friend who watched a recent news report about 856 same-sex couples lined up to be the first to be “married” under the new law in New York.
The news report had of course shown the settled older couples who had been together for more than 20 years and some couples with their adopted children.
The governor of New York asked how anyone could view these families as any less than any other family. They should have the same status and the same rights as any other married couple, he claimed.
Thus the new law was passed allowing same sex “marriage” in New York. Other states may soon follow.
But feeling or looking good can’t be the final moral principle that drives this cultural discussion. “If it feels good it must be right” can’t be the true moral principle from which we form decisions.
We need deeper moral principles, ones that may not provide easy sound bites. And here lies one of the real problems. The Catholic Church is not providing an adequate response as a teaching church to this issue. Many think that our teaching on homosexuality is too difficult for people to follow. But just because it may be difficult does not mean it is false or even unrealistic.
In this debate it seems that those who support same-sex “marriage” have the moral high ground — at least as far as the media is concerned. At best, those who oppose same-sex “marriage” come across as if they come from a past age. At worst, they seem bigoted.
I spoke to one bishop who said we have already lost this debate. It does seem, at least in the public media, that this is true. If the polls are right, the general public seems to be drifting from the church’s moral views on this issue.
But perhaps the church’s moral views are not received because they have not been openly taught. When was the last time you heard a homily or read a good commentary on what the church teaches on same-sex “marriage?” I mean a rich, theological and respectful reflection.
The church has plenty of experience teaching unpopular truths down through the centuries. A good, moral and compassionate response, based on Scripture, the teachings of the church and a correct understanding of natural law is desperately needed. Most people don’t understand the church’s teaching because we haven’t moved it out into their real lives.
To address this there has to first be tremendous compassion from the church and a great recognition that there are men and women who are homosexual who are trying to live chaste lives and follow the teaching of the church. This is not going to be a popular media topic but we need to realize that these people are in our midst and being quite courageous.
Secondly the church must present its teachings in ways that go beyond sound bites and rhetoric. Converting the culture was Pope John Paul II’s method of spreading the Gospel. The more we read and encounter the deeper meaning of sexuality and the human body as seen especially in his “Theology of the Body,” the more we will find a great tool by which to present the positive reflections on why the church teaches what it does.
The Catholic Church has a great message of love. For those who want to get a clear picture of the church’s teaching on this issue, start by reading a short online article here. Another suggested read is a book that presents a dialogue between a priest and young man who has left the church and lives as a practicing homosexual. The book is called “Born to Love” by John Waiss.
The greatest gift the church can bring to our time is a recovery of the purpose and the gift of human sexuality. Each person who is confused, longing or experiencing division and struggle in their sexual life — whether homosexual or heterosexual — needs to discover the church’s inspiring message that we are all born to love. May it be the love that is most deeply human and open to God.
The writer is pastor of the Church of the Nativity in Magadan, Russia. This article reprinted with permission from CatholicAnchor.org
