Changing the teaching of the Catholic Church to combat homophobia

Article by Roy Bourgeois published on Bondings 2.0, blog of the Catholic association New Ways Ministry (United States), on 11 July 2016, freely translated by Giacomo Tessaro

Today we are publishing an article by blogger Roy Bourgeois, former Catholic priest and author of the bookMy Journey From Silence to Solidarity. He is known throughout the country for his speeches on issues of conscience and Church reform. He founded the group School of the Americas Watch, which annually protests the training of Latin American soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2010 he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Homophobia, according to Webster's dictionary, is “irrational hatred or fear towards homosexuals”. The language we use fuels hatred and fear, which often leads to violence. It's time to disarm them. A good place to start is the teaching of the Church.

According to the official teaching of the Catholic Church as it appears in the Catechism, section 2357: “
Relying on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual relationships as serious depravities, Tradition has always declared that "acts of homosexuality are intrinsically disordered". They are against natural law. They preclude the gift of life from the sexual act. They are not the fruit of true emotional and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.". It is a teaching that instills shame and self-hatred, which has contributed to the rejection of gay people by their families, firings, bullying and even murders.

Historically the Bible and “tradition” have been used to justify discrimination. The Bible was used to support slavery and oppose women's suffrage. I grew up in Louisiana, where we used our "tradition" and the Bible to justify school segregation and went to mass in a church where the last five rows of pews were reserved for blacks. Today, once again, we are using the Bible and tradition to discriminate against homosexual people.

Over the years I have had my own dealings with the teachings of the Catholic Church. I was a Maryknoll priest for 40 years. I was expelled in 2012 for my open support of women's ordination. Being kicked out of the priesthood and a community where I had so many friends was very painful, however this experience gave me a taste of what millions of people have faced, on a much deeper level, because of their race, gender or sexual orientation.

Since the day of my expulsion from the priesthood I have heard many stories and experiences of homosexual people. Two in particular keep me up at night:

-A couple of Catholic parents told me about their son, who was in high school and gay. Their love for him was unconditional, but he was bullied at school and did not feel welcome in the parish. Two weeks before graduation, he committed suicide. The parents told me that the Church's teaching on homosexuality contributed to their son's death: they left the Church.

-I was recently in El Salvador with a human rights commission and met some LGBT people, who told us about the dangers of coming out in their country and how some of their dear friends were killed. El Salvador is a very Catholic country. When we asked them if the Church supported them, they replied that bishops and priests are their worst enemies.

Outside the Catholic Church, homosexuality is seen differently:

-Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said: “I am proud to be gay and I consider my identity one of the greatest gifts God has given me.”

-In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality.

-On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.

According to Human Rights Campaign “Nearly two-thirds of LGBT Americans say they have experienced discrimination in their lives” and “Only 19 states explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation”. Today, 25 countries have legalized same-sex marriage, while another 75 consider homosexual behavior a crime, punishable by death in 10.

When we were born we did not choose our race, gender, or sexual orientation. We can try with all our might to justify any type of discrimination, even using the Bible and tradition, but this will never be the way of the loving God who created everyone with equal value and dignity, without exceptions. It is time for the Catholic Church and other churches to change their oppressive teachings on homosexuality.

Original text: Roy Bourgeois: Catholic Church Must Change Its Teachings on Homosexuality