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Church teaching

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Catholic teaching on homosexuality is laid out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a number of magisterial documents. The Church teaches that while homosexual sexual acts, like all sexual acts outside of marriage, are sinful, having a homosexual orientation itself is not a sin.

The Church's teaching has been described as "straightforwardly conservative" yet "quite complex and perhaps more nuanced than many other conservative denominational's perspectives".[1]

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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The current Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the Church's teaching on homosexuality as follows:[2]

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered'. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.[3]

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.[4]

The earlier first provisional edition issued in 1992 had contained the line "They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial." This was changed in the 1997 definitive edition to say instead "This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial."[5]

"Objectively disordered" and "intrinsically disordered"

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In a Huffington Post opinion piece arguing that the use of the phrase "intrinsically disordered" should be removed from the Catechism, canon lawyer Charles Reid, Jr. argued that within the Church's teaching on homosexuality there "are hidden nuances which 99 percent of the Catechism’s readers cannot be expected to fathom."[6] Included in this are the phrases "objectively disordered" and "intrinsically disordered," terms which rise from the language of Catholic moral theology and Catholic philosophy.[7][8][6] In this usage, the term "disordered" indicates a departure from the norm and not, as usage in English could suggest, sinful, demeaning, or sickly.[9]

In Catholic theology of sexuality, all sexual acts must be open to procreation and express the symbolism of male-female complementarity.[6] As acts between two members of the same gender cannot meet these standards, the acts are described as "intrinsically disordered."[6][10] In a 2006 commentary, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger argued that some had misinterpreted the term "intrinsically disordered" to imply that the homosexual tendency could be good or even neutral.[11]

Gay people and others have found the terms to be "'offensive,' 'hard on the ears' or 'disrespectful'" and, because of this, they often feel ostracized.[7]

At the 2015 Synod on the Family, Archbishop Charles Chaput said that the phrase "intrinsically disordered" turns people off and "probably isn’t useful anymore."[12] While making clear that any new language adopted should make clear the Church's teaching, he said that this particular phrase should be put "on the shelf for a while, until we get over the negativity related to it."[12]

Catholic theology of sexuality

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Main article: Catholic theology of sexuality

According to the Catholic theology of sexuality, all sexual acts must be open to procreation and express the symbolism of male-female complementarity.[6] Sexual acts between two members of the same gender cannot meet these standards.[13] Homosexuality thus constitutes a tendency towards this sin.[13][6] The church recognizes the difficulty of maintaining lifelong celibacy for LGBT people.[10][14]

According to Church teaching, "sexuality affects all aspects of the human person."[15][10] This is especially true of the "capacity to love and procreate and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.[16][10]

The Church points to several passages in the Bible as the basis for its teachings, including Genesis 19:1-11, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, I Corinthians 6:9, Romans 1:18-32, and I Timothy 10.[17]

Development of the Church's teaching

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Persona humana

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In 1975, during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the document Persona humana (Human Person) dealing with sexual ethics. It stated that acceptance of homosexual activity runs counter to the church's teaching and morality. It drew a distinction between people who were homosexual because of "a false education [...] a lack of normal sexual development", or other curable non-biological causes and people who were innately or "pathological[ly]" homosexual.[18][10] Little else was said about sexual orientation.[10]

It criticized those who argued that innate homosexuality justified same-sex sexual activity within loving relationships and stated that the Bible condemned homosexual activity as depraved, "intrinsically disordered," never to be approved, and a consequence of rejecting God.[18] As humans have free will, they can choose whether or not to act upon those attractions.[18]

Critics have argued that the "negative connotations" of the language in Persona Humana—for instance, referring to homosexuality as an "anomaly" that gay people "suffer[ed]" from—contrast with more neutral and even positive interpretations of homosexual orientation over the next ten years. However, these "overly benign" interpretations were to be challenged in 1986.[10]

On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons

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Benedict XVI, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the signatories of the 1986 letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Pastoral Care of Homosexuals

In October 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a letter addressed to all the bishops of the Catholic Church entitled On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.[19] This was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as prefect. The letter gave instructions on how the clergy should deal with, and respond to, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.[10] Designed to remove any ambiguity about permissible tolerance of homosexual orientation resulting from the earlier Persona Humana—and prompted by the growing influence of gay-accepting groups and clergy—the letter was particularly aimed at the church in the United States.[10][20][21]

It affirmed the position that while homosexual orientation is not in itself a sin, it is nevertheless a tendency towards the "moral evil" of homosexual activity, and therefore must be considered "an objective disorder".[22][13]: 221  The letter went on to say that when homosexual activity is the result of deliberate choice, it is not made inculpable by natural sexual orientation.[23][13][24] Furthermore, the letter argues that this natural homosexual orientation is "essentially self-indulgent" since homosexual sexual acts are not procreative and therefore not genuinely loving or selfless.[10][22]: 222 

The letter condemned physical and verbal violence against gay people and that "such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs."[10] At the same time, it asserted that condemnation of violence did not mean that the homosexual orientation was good or neutral or that homosexual sexual acts should be permitted.[22]: 222 [23]

The letter also said that accepting homosexual acts as morally equivalent to married heterosexual acts was harmful to the family and society and warned bishops to be on guard against, and not to support, Catholic organizations not upholding the Church's doctrine on homosexuality—groups which the letter said were not really Catholic.[20]: 201 [22]: 223 [23] This alluded to LGBT and LGBT-accepting Catholic groups such as DignityUSA and New Ways Ministry,[20]: 201  and ultimately resulted in the exclusion of Dignity from Church property.[25][26][27][28]

Critics have described the document as teaching "that a gay male or lesbian sexual identity is not to be celebrated, nor is it properly seen as a source of pride".[10] The claims that accepting and legalizing homosexual behaviour leads to violence were seen as controversially blaming gay people for homophobic violence and encouraging homophobic violence.[10][29] Referring to the AIDS epidemic,[30][31] the letter, McNeill writes, blamed AIDS on gay rights activists and gay-accepting mental health professionals:[29] "Even when the practice of homosexuality may seriously threaten the lives and well-being of a large number of people, its advocates remain undeterred and refuse to consider the magnitude of the risks involved".[32] Andrew Sullivan called this comment "extraordinary for its lack of compassion"[33] and added that "some of [the letter's] clauses read chillingly like comparable church documents produced in Europe in the 1930s."[34]

1992 "Considerations"

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In a statement released in July 1992, "Some Considerations Concerning the Catholic Response to Legislative Proposals on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith expanded previous teaching. It was originally only intended to be issued to the United States bishops, but it soon became public.[10] The document said it was demeaning to homosexuals to assume that they were incapable of restraining themselves sexually and therefore the fact of being homosexual did not prevent gay sex from being sinful.[32][10] It added that homophobic violence in either word or action was "deplorable,"[32] saying that "neither the Church nor society at large should be surprised" when anti-gay hate crimes increase in the wake of gay civil rights legislation.[32] It stated that discrimination against gay people in certain areas, such as selecting adoptive or foster parents or in hiring teachers, coaches, or military service members, is not unjust, and thus can be permitted in some circumstances.[32]

Synods on the Family

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Main articles: Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
See also: Pastoral care for gay Catholics and Pope Francis and homosexuality

At the 2014 Synod on the Family, the interim report asked if the Church was capable of guaranteeing gay Catholics "a place of fellowship in our communities" and "accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony."[35] It added that gay people have "gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community."[36] Cardinal Donald Wuerl argued that it was "not so much a change in the teaching of the Church, but a way of saying it that is far more inviting, far more welcoming."[37]

The interim report's statements on homosexuality were described by gay rights advocates as "a seismic shift in tone toward acceptance of gays."[38][39][40] One priest commentator said that the language used "represents a revolutionary change in how the church addresses the LGBT community," pointing to the document's lack of use of phrases such as "intrinsically disordered."[36]

At the larger follow up Synod on the Family in 2015, the rejection of "exclusionary language" towards gays was a topic of discussion.[41] One Synod member, who was not publicly identified, said that gay Catholics "are our children. They are family members. They are not outsiders. They are our flesh and blood. How do we speak about them [positively] and offer a hand of welcome?"[41][42] According to Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Australia, there was strong support in the early days of the assembly for using a "less condemnatory approach," especially regarding language, when pastorally caring for and speaking about gay Catholics, on the order of 70% in favor and 30% opposed.[43]

The final report repeated Church teaching that every person, gay or straight, should be treated with dignity and not face unjust discrimination, but also reaffirmed that marriage was between a man and a woman.[44] It did not describe how the Church should minister directly to them, but did say that there should be outreach.[44]

In time of Pope Francis

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In the 2020 film Francesco, Pope Francis supported same-sex civil union for homosexual partnerships, stating in an interview: "Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. [...] What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that."[45] Nonetheless, on 15 March 2021, Francis approved a Vatican decree that same-sex unions are ineligible to receive priestly blessings.[46]

Local perspectives

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Europe

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Austria
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In Austria, the blessing of same-sex unions has been offered in at least two parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Linz.[47] In May 2020, Austrian Romac catholic theologian Ewald Volgger published with support of Roman Catholic bishop Franz Lackner a book The benediction of same sex partnerships with liturgical advices, how a worship for blessings of same-sex partnerships can be.[48]

Netherlands
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The Dutch Catechism, first published in 1966, was the first post-Vatican II Catholic catechism and was an expression of the magisterium of the Dutch bishops, who commissioned and authorized it. The 1973 edition, issued after a Vatican review of the original text, dealt with the issue of homosexuality: "It is not the fault of the individual if he or she is not attracted to the other sex. The causes of homosexuality are unknown ... The very sharp strictures of Scripture on homosexual practices (Gen. 1; Rom. 1) must be read in their context."

Germany
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In January 2018, German bishop Franz-Josef Bode of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück argued in an interview that blessing of same-sex unions in Catholic churches in Germany should be considered.[49] In February 2018, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference agreed that such blessings should be looked at the local level on a case-by-case basis.[50]In June 2020, bishop Georg Bätzing from Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg said, blessings of same-sex unions in Roman Catholic church should be allowed.[51][52][53]

In June 2020, German bishop Helmut Dieser of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aachen in Aachen said blessing of same-sex partnerships should be allowed in the Roman Catholic church.[51] In September 2020, bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden–Meissen supported Blessing of same-sex marriages in Roman Catholic Church.[54] In February 2021, bishop Peter Kohlgraf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz supported blessing of same-sex marriages in Roman Catholic church.[55]

United Kingdom
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Richard Scorer wrote that the leadership of the English Church has been "notably less homophobic than the Vatican", and that, in 1992, on publication of a statement by Cardinal Ratzinger, which Scorer said justified discrimination against homosexuals, Cardinal Basil Hume was said to be "appalled by the language and tone of the document" and privately distanced himself.[56]

In April 1997, Hume issued A note on the teaching of the Catholic Church concerning homosexuality. It stated that the Church recognises the dignity and right to respectful treatment of all people and does not see their "objective disorder" of homosexual people as making them wholly disordered. It also said that sexual activity ought only to take place within an opposite-sex marriage and said that the Church cannot "acknowledge amongst fundamental human rights a proposed right to acts which she teaches are morally wrong."[57]

United States

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In 1976, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote to American Catholics that gays "should have an active role in the Christian community."[58] In 1991, they called on "all Christians and citizens of good will to confront their own fears about homosexuality and to curb the humor and discrimination that offend homosexual persons. We understand that having a homosexual orientation brings with it enough anxiety, pain and issues related to self-acceptance without society bringing additional prejudicial treatment."[59]

In 1997, the US Catholic Bishops Conference published a letter entitled Always Our Children, as a pastoral message to parents of gay and bisexual children with guidelines for pastoral ministers. It told parents not to break off contact with a gay or bisexual son or daughter; they should instead look for appropriate counseling both for the child and for themselves. The letter said that, while homosexual orientation is not sinful, homosexual activity is immoral.[60][61]: 131  It added that "it is not sufficient only to avoid unjust discrimination. Homosexual persons 'must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity'"[60][62] and that "nothing in the Bible or in Catholic teaching can be used to justify prejudicial or discriminatory attitudes and behaviors."[60][63]

Gay Catholics, the bishops said, should be allowed to participate actively in the Christian community and, if living chastely, hold leadership positions.[60][61]: 131  It also noted "an importance and urgency" to minister to those with AIDS, especially considering the impact it had on the gay community, and the bishops "reject[ed] the idea that HIV/AIDS is a direct punishment from God."[60][64][65]

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