Horrifying Document from Canadian Bishops

The Catholic bishops of Canada have covered themselves in shame.

They have issued a document urging Catholic parents to send their gay children to a shrink, or urge them to join Courage, a wacky rightwing "ministry."

They assure gay teenagers that they are not guilty for their condition, as long as they have not chosen it. Their whole sexual and affective life is thus blandly categorized under the rubrics of sin and culpability.

The eight-page booklet is issued not directly by the Bishops but by a doctrinal commission (June 27).

 

Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., a commission member, says: “If we are going to be Catholic school boards and we are going to try to have equality and equity in our outreach to young people then we need to be clear about what the Church’s teaching is.”

 

I believe that many Catholic parents will think twice about sending their gay children to such schools. If their children are not bullied there, they will be psychologically poisoned by the ideologues of Courage and their allies NARTH.

 

“While homosexual acts are always objectively wrong, same-sex inclinations are not in themselves sinful or a moral failing. To the extent that a same-sex attraction is not freely chosen, there is no personal culpability in having such an inclination. Nonetheless, when oriented toward genital activity, this inclination is ‘objectively disordered.'”

 

What an icy tone! What a smug framing of gay feelings, desires, love, in terms of sinfulness and disorder! This is the language of hypocrisy, of the whited sepulchers denounced by Jesus. (Some defend the language as an effort to articulate objective principle. But it merely parrots the CDF text Homosexualitatis Persona of 1986, with, to be sure, the important clarification that the 'inclination' (a very distorting word) is objectively disordered not 'since' but only 'when' it is oriented to genital activity (including masturbation?). The Pharisees also used the language of their principled legal authorities, oblivious of the real-life situation of those Jesus healed on the Sabbath.)
“Inclinations to homosexual acts in no way diminish the full human dignity or intrinsic worth of the person. For many people, same-sex attraction constitutes a trial. They therefore deserve to be approached by pastors with charity and prudence.”

Self-hating gays are the only ones of whom the Canadian bishops approve. They blandly repeat stale old Vatican talking points. Have they ever talked to the gays they claim live their sexuality as a trial? Have they ever, indeed, talked to anyone?

 

“Through a Christ-centred love Christians can be fulfilled in all aspects of life, including the gradual integration of their sexuality. On this challenging journey, only a greater love can heal a lesser love.”

 

All very nice, but so loftily abstract that it leaves gay teenagers and their parents in the lurch. "Integration of their sexuality" -- no doubt the wisdom of mature, seasoned celibates. Alas, who believes that our bishops have such wisdom any more?

 

In practice the bishops are promoting promiscuity by undercutting the validity of loving relationships.

“God catches us up in His love. Sometimes we figure how can I love as a human person when I’m torn in my attractions? Allow God to love you and to heal you and perhaps you can redirect love into a different way or channel it into a cause.”

 

So -- says Prendergast -- do not love a human being, channel it into a cause.

“Married people are tempted. Priests who have the vow of chastity, bishops are tempted. Everyone is tempted by this drive of sexuality, to love and beget life.”

 

This is a remarkably conflicted utterance. On the one hand a manichean view of sexuality as temptation, rather than as a blessing that is best reaped in loving unions. On the other hand an utterance about "to love and beget life" that, inserted in this statement, almost sounds as if loving and begetting were also viewed with distaste. The drive of sexuality is regarded as something so risky, so tempting, that it is hard to resist the impression that it is evil. Manicheanism lurks deep within some tormented Catholic souls.

 
“We can be with other people in different ways,” Prendergast said, stressing friendship and support groups like Courage and EnCourage for families and friends of those struggling with same-sex attraction.

Struggling with same-sex attraction! It sounds like battling cancer. The Archbishop could learn from Bishop Jefferts-Schori that gayness is a grace and a vocation, to love others. The Archbishops's idea that it is a problem to be struggled with, with the aid of psychiatrists (but which ones? Most psychiatrists would not follow the Archbishop's agenda) -- is a formula for neurosis. The wacky groups he recommends are not at all representative of Catholic thinking today.  They cosy up to strange ex-gay ministries.

“There is a way in which we can be stronger together and having a welcoming community helps me to bear my cross.” Is his own archdiocese a welcoming community for gays? Or does he fob them off on the weird conventicle of Courage? Homosexuality is characterized as a cross -- doleful and antique language that is just what has turned so many Catholics away from their Church in Canada.

 

True the document urges priests to remove any barriers that might make gay youth feel unwelcome. “Ostracism or the fear of being rejected or even hated, frequently contributes to the despair that all too often is felt by these young persons.” Except, who has contribute most to creating that despair? And how honest is an archbishop who lectures at gays and never for a moment recognizes the Church's role in their oppression and stigmatization?

 

I don't for a moment believe that this document is inspired by any genuine pastoral concern. It is a holding operation, to please the Vatican, and is clearly not based on any open discussion with gays and lesbians, or any consultation with sources other than rightwing organizations such as Courage. The authors of the document have projected their own neuroses, and have shown no empathy, no understanding, no basic humanity, in their pronouncements.

Comments

[shane]

I went into the shop last night and the lone paper left (local) had a headline 'Rapes and Sex Assault Numbers Up'. 'Obsession' does not cover it.

Incidentally I read in the current issue of the Catholic Voice newspaper (pg 3):

"In futher controversy another high profile member of the group (ACP - shane) Cork priest Father Joe O'Leary tried to justify the alleged homosexual actions of Bishop Magee towards a seminarian, commenting online Father O'Leary said "Magee is widely perceived to be gay. His inappropriate behavior is perfectly explicable as that of a sentimental gay man in presence of a lovely youth, toward whom in all probability his romantic aspirations were purely platonic." At the time of going to press Father O'Leary could not be contacted."

[shane]

Post-script: I was not endorsing the article, just alerting you to it. On the contrary, I think it's a case of seriously idiotic reporting, quite characteristic of the paper it's in (which few people take seriously --- take a look at my comments and those of others on it at the Irish Catholics' Forum).

I can send you a scan of it if you want, just to show I'm not making it up