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| First Edition of The Catechism... |
The interim report from the Vatican Synod on the Family caused much controversy, and, interestingly enough, much excitement in the gay media; the much-read “Advocate” opened with the headline - “Vatican Document: Value Gay People's 'Gifts and Qualities' - The church should recognize positive aspects of same-sex relationships, the document says.” Yet, many in the Curia were far from enthused. Discussing the interim report from the Synod, Cardinal Raymond Burke stated: “The document lacks a proper foundation in the sacred Scriptures and the perennial and rich teaching of the Church regarding holy matrimony. It also does not reflect a proper theological anthropology, with its reference to the natural law. The effect which the document has already had upon Catholics, non-Catholics and people of good will has been disastrous. The document, not without reason, gives the impression that the Catholic Church is abandoning the apostolic faith regarding marriage.”
After much discussion, what finally emerged from the Synod, regarding homosexuality and the question of gay marriage, had little do with the vague and open statements found with the interim report:
“The pastoral care of people with homosexual orientation some families live the experience of having family members with a homosexual orientation. In this regard, we have examined pastoral care which is appropriate to deal with this situation by referring to what the Church teaches: ‘There is no foundation whatsoever to assimilate or to establish even remotely analogous, including same-sex unions and the plan of God for marriage and the family.’ ‘Nevertheless, men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. In their regard should be avoided every sign of unjust discrimination.’” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons.)”
Gone are all the references to gay “gifts;” gone are “valuing” and “accepting” the homosexual orientation; and gone is the “valuable support” provided by same-sex unions. Instead, the Bishops redacted verbatim from “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” and from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons;” both of which were overseen by the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) under St. John Paul. And, herein resides the great power of the Catholic Church: for it continually lokks towards Tradition and the Magisterium for guidance. Such as, back in 1994, the first edition of “The Catechism” arrived in the US. Unbeknownst to me, 1994 would be a seminal year in my life: I would finally graduate from UC Berkeley, my idol and one-time debauchery partner Joey Stefano died of an overdose, and I decided to do another porn movie after a couple of years hiatus. That year marked a sort of beginning of the end for me: I was 25, no longer the cute young thing, and I had been away from the attention of the Castro long enough to really start craving it all over again.
Five years later, I would desperately crack open “The Catechism.” Little did I know, it was the first edition; so what? Well, even to my warped and uneducated mind, the line: “They [homosexuals] do not choose their homosexual condition…” did not ring true to me. Was I born this way? Is my gayness inevitable? If so, how will I ever get away from this?” Far from comforting, I became a little desperate. Through the Grace of God, the bright-green second edition fell into my hands. There, I read: “This inclination, which is objectively disordered…” Now, as seemingly harsh as the language had become, this made sense. Okay, I had a disorder. And, a disorder can be fixed; it can be healed. This offered Hope.
Wisely, the Synod Bishops went back to the two great Catholic minds of the 20th Century. With both voices, we experience the resolute Truth of the Church: that the homosexual lifestyle can never be accepted; but that the homosexual person suffering from same-sex attraction must never be marginalized; they should be thought of as children of God. Again, in the end - the Church has triumphed.
Unofficial translation of the interim report:
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons:
Earlier blog: “Cardinal Ratzinger and the Catechism: How the Future Pope Saved Millions From Confusion and Moral Destruction”