Monday, December 15, 2014

Msgr. Pope on the WAPO article covering Gay Christians who choose celibacy.



Monsignor Pope's commentary is excellent.

Things are getting better for Catholics who are same sex attracted.  There's honest recognition and understanding of the inclination itself, as well as increasing support for celibate and chaste 'gay' people to live faithful lives in accord with Catholic teaching - without pretending.

I like what Monsignor says about 'what the Church offers same sex attracted persons', and I will reprint that commentary here:

Of course the truth we offer in terms of human sexuality is out of favor among many today. But the truth, in accord with Scripture and natural law, is that human sexuality is ordered to the good of procreation, and by extension, to the good of the husband and wife so that they may be strengthened for their role as parents through the bonds of sexual intimacy and the stable love and loyalty cultivated there. This benefits not only them, but even more so their children, who need a loving and stable family in which to be best raised. It is to this that human sexuality is properly ordered and why its legitimate expression is only within the bonds of marriage. All other types of sexual expression are, in one degree or another, disordered (i.e., not properly ordered to the proper ends of sexuality). Thus sex as recreation, fornication (pre-marital sex), adultery, pornography, masturbation, and homosexual acts are disordered.
This is the truth that the Church offers to all who give us the gift of their attention. We affirm, as did St. Paul, that We do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Cor 4:2). We do not discriminate or exempt anyone from this teaching. It is a teaching that applies equally to all and is the clear and consistent stance of Scripture and Church teaching extending all the way back into ancient Jewish times. Even if not all have lived it perfectly, it is what is taught and what is true from the Revelation of God and backed up by Natural Law. - Read the rest of his editorial here.

I'm not sure what seems to be so confusing for gay people in understanding, and or accepting what the Church, in the name of Jesus Christ calls us to.  Sometimes I get the impression people are trying to figure out just how far they can go and still be in the good graces of God.  In adolescence Catholic school boys used to discuss how far a kid could go with out committing full self-abuse.  Likewise, not a few gay people wonder about cuddling, kissing, hugging, and so on if they continue to live with a friend and want to stay chaste and celibate.  Mature men and women do not do that stuff.

What really does the Church call gay people to?

The Church calls us to sanctity - to holiness - that is our vocation.  He didn't make us gay or call us to be gay - gay is not a vocation.  Our sanctification is God's will for us.  It is so completely simple.  What does the Church offer gay people?  Salvation.  Eternal salvation.

The ordinary means are sufficient to attain this: The sacraments, Mass, prayer, instruction in the faith and spiritual life, love of God and neighbor - serving one's neighbor.  Fidelity to the duties of one's state in life - that is the sacrifice and penance God requires.  For celibate/single persons, that includes celibate chastity - loving God with our whole heart and soul, and our neighbor as our self.

That's pretty much it.

2 comments:

  1. "That's pretty much it" - and that's Pretty Much. Thank you, Terry, for being so delicately blunt, so charitably forthright. I appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. H.F. - Thanks. Hey, I recognize your name - I got an email from you which went to junk and then disappeared afterwards. Sorry - I'll know better next time. God bless you!

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