In December I preached at the Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Helena, California. I tried to encourage the people present to value their families in fidelity to the Virgin Mother. I mentioned that family values do not include abortion or homosexual marriage.
Yesterday someone handed me the local newspaper which covered the event. The reporter had approached me after Mass to ask about the feast. I explained its significance and mentioned what I said in the homily. Unfortunately his article misstated my point. He had written that I urged the people to oppose homosexuality, not homosexual marriage. Perhaps he heard the second as the first. Anyway, the difference is crucial.
How can Catholics oppose homosexuality? It is like saying one opposes a bipolar condition. Although choice may have a role in one’s sexual orientation, it seems to be multi-faceted with some genetic input. Homosexuality cannot be called a moral evil. What may be considered morally evil are homosexual acts which, the Church teaches, are wrong since they violate the purpose of sexual relations.
Homosexual marriage does society a tremendous disservice as it attempts to institutionalize wrongful sexual relationships. It may have catastrophic social effects as birth rates may plummet with escalating numbers of these so-called marriages. More personally, it may encourage many maturing young men and women to make mistaken conclusions about their lives thus depriving them of the truly wonderful experiences of child-bearing and child-rearing.
Reflection for Friday, January 19, 2007
In December I preached at the Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Helena, California. I tried to encourage the people present to value their families in fidelity to the Virgin Mother. I mentioned that family values do not include abortion or homosexual marriage.
Yesterday someone handed me the local newspaper which covered the event. The reporter had approached me after Mass to ask about the feast. I explained its significance and mentioned what I said in the homily. Unfortunately his article misstated my point. He had written that I urged the people to oppose homosexuality, not homosexual marriage. Perhaps he heard the second as the first. Anyway, the difference is crucial.
How can Catholics oppose homosexuality? It is like saying one opposes a bipolar condition. Although choice may have a role in one’s sexual orientation, it seems to be multi-faceted with some genetic input. Homosexuality cannot be called a moral evil. What may be considered morally evil are homosexual acts which, the Church teaches, are wrong since they violate the purpose of sexual relations.
Homosexual marriage does society a tremendous disservice as it attempts to institutionalize wrongful sexual relationships. It may have catastrophic social effects as birth rates may plummet with escalating numbers of these so-called marriages. More personally, it may encourage many maturing young men and women to make mistaken conclusions about their lives thus depriving them of the truly wonderful experiences of child-bearing and child-rearing.
Yesterday someone handed me the local newspaper which covered the event. The reporter had approached me after Mass to ask about the feast. I explained its significance and mentioned what I said in the homily. Unfortunately his article misstated my point. He had written that I urged the people to oppose homosexuality, not homosexual marriage. Perhaps he heard the second as the first. Anyway, the difference is crucial.
How can Catholics oppose homosexuality? It is like saying one opposes a bipolar condition. Although choice may have a role in one’s sexual orientation, it seems to be multi-faceted with some genetic input. Homosexuality cannot be called a moral evil. What may be considered morally evil are homosexual acts which, the Church teaches, are wrong since they violate the purpose of sexual relations.
Homosexual marriage does society a tremendous disservice as it attempts to institutionalize wrongful sexual relationships. It may have catastrophic social effects as birth rates may plummet with escalating numbers of these so-called marriages. More personally, it may encourage many maturing young men and women to make mistaken conclusions about their lives thus depriving them of the truly wonderful experiences of child-bearing and child-rearing.
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