On an NBC interview for “Meet the Press,” which will air this Sunday, Cardinal Dolan of New York was asked about the Church’s stance on homosexuality, he said: “Well, I think maybe we've been outmarketed sometimes. We've been caricatured as being anti-gay…When you have forces like Hollywood, when you have forces like politicians, when you have forces like some opinion-molders that are behind it, it's a tough battle.”
While I agree with the Cardinal 100%, I also do not think it explains fully why this has happened. In my experience, the bad reputation the Church has in the gay community is also partially due to its own inability or unwillingness to push forward any comprehensive and coherent message to homosexuals. While the Courage apostolate has been a miracle for many, including myself, support for it has been scattered and inconsistent within the US Catholic Church. This lack of a broad-based presence at the typical local parish has resulted in many earnestly searching homosexuals to seek out progressive Catholic conclaves or more liberal Christian denominations that tend to make a very public stance concerning their support for gay rights. For the most part, the alternative has been hidden and oftentimes difficult to discover. Blessedly, during his term at the USCCB, Cardinal Dolan has never been afraid to discuss this issue, and I pray the dialogue continues – resulting in some very real pastoral initiatives and concrete programs.