In a two part review at National Catholic Reporter, Michael Sean Winters reviews Louis Cameli’s book, Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: New Paths to Understanding, which he clearly finds balanced, respectful and understanding of theological tradition - and also sensitive to the real problems that this tradition presents for faithful lesbian and gay Catholics. We shall see. I am sufficiently encouraged by Winters’ review to want to read and study this book for myself (and shall do so), but I’m also deeply sceptical. The attempt to present a balanced view sounds laudable, but I’m more in sympathy with the response in a comment to the second part of the review,
an observant reader will surely be wondering whether Catholic teaching on the “grave moral, objective disorder” called homosexuality is, well, just plain wrong.
For gay Catholics, there is a fundamental contradiction at the heart of Catholic doctrine, as expressed in the Catechism.
On the one hand, we have an emphasis on the importance of human sexuality, and its integration within the person:
2332 Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul. It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.
2333 Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity……
2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another….
On the other, an assertion that this full acceptance and integration is only possible within heterosexual marriage
2333 continues “….. Physical, moral, and spiritual difference and complementarity are oriented toward the goods of marriage and the flourishing of family life.,”.
2337 concludes “……….in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.”
What is a gay Catholic to do?
We are told that we must accept our sexual identity, and integrate it into our human person - but that the only way to do that is within heterosexual marriage. But teaching also holds that heterosexual marriage is NOT appropriate for homosexual people, and that so - called conversion therapy is not recommended. The only approved path open to us is total sexual abstinence - but in what sense can this possibly be described as “successful integration of sexuality within the person …….(in) the relationship of one person to another” ?
We are also told that the Church should respect the findings of science, both natural and human - but on sexuality, these findings are simply ignored, in favour of what has been decreed by “tradition”.
Is it any wonder that so many lesbian and gay Catholics, after deep reflection, prayer, study and direction, have concluded (along with many of their straight counterparts), that yes indeed, it is just possible that the authorized teaching is indeed just plain wrong.
Worse, as handled by many of our opponents, it has become not just teaching, but a form of Catholic sexual ideology, of precisely the kind that Pope Francis has been warning about.
(I will not have any comment on the actual book until I’ve read it for myself - read the NCR review here for part one, and here for part two. Also read the lively responses in the two comments threads).
Related articles
- “Real” US Catholics Love Pope Francis - and Support Gay Marriage. (queeringthechurch.com)
- New Poll Finds Two-Thirds of U.S. Catholics Agree with Francis, Six in Ten Approve of Gay Marriage (bilgrimage.blogspot.com)
- LGTB Catholics find worship with Dignity (mysanantonio.com)
- Conscience and the Queer Catholic (queeringthechurch.com)
- Church Reform and Gay Catholics: What Reform-Cases of Archbishop Broglio and Providence College (bilgrimage.blogspot.com)
- Theology: Gustavo Gutierrez on Marginalization, Frida Berrigan on Catholics in Waiting, Adam Ackley on Churches and Gender, Bill Tammeus on Theological Education (bilgrimage.blogspot.com)
- The Return of the (Gay) Prodigal (queeringthechurch.com)
