The newly appointed Cardinal Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, the 84-year-old Archbishop Emeritus of Pamplona Spain, said:
“Homosexuality is a deficient way of manifesting sexuality because (sexuality) has a structure and a purpose, which is procreation.” “Homosexuality, which can’t achieve this purpose, is a failing…” “Our bodies have many deficiencies. I have high blood pressure — a deficiency I have to correct as I can.” “Saying homosexuals suffer a deficiency is not an insult. It’s a help because in many cases of homosexuality it is possible to recover and become normal with the right treatment.”
Concerning the wildly misinterpreted opinions of Pope Francis on homosexuality, he continued: “It is one thing to be compassionate towards a homosexual person but another thing to morally justify the practice of homosexuality. All (the Pope) is doing is offering comprehension and compassion and showing a desire to welcome those who have gone astray.”
As a former gay man and as someone who spent many years in that lifestyle, and successfully left it, I can testify that what the Cardinal said is absolutely true. Over the years, as I talk with countless gay men, the same almost identical stories keep reappearing: some form of childhood trauma that forever changed the way they thought about and perceived themselves and the opposite sex. Oftentimes, it’s sort of a given in the gay world, i.e. my overbearing mother, or my unloving father. Nowadays, I am also witnessing an increase in young people who were drawn to homosexuality because of early exposure to pornography and a culture that celebrates “progressive” forms of sexual expression – such as: gender-bending, metro-sexuality, and trans-genderism. Nevertheless, it all can be traced back into childhood. Hence, because a locus or starting point can be discovered, like the Cardinal stated, healing is possible. From personal experience, I discovered that Catholicism offered the best solution: an acceptance of our woundedness, embracing chastity, and a Love for the Cross.