By David Morrison
As a Catholic and as a homosexuality oriented man. I am deeply grateful to the Roman Catholic Church for its position on sexuality and homosexual acts. Roman Catholicism, almost alone among Christendom’s Churches, refuses to either patronize homosexual with a watered down gospel or brutalize them with a message of irredeemable hostility.
The Roman Catholic Church loves me and all the men and women like me who lice as homosexuals, looks at us the adults we are, and says that too, can resolutely cooperate with the Holy Spirit to sanctify our lives. We are called to sainthood and the narrow road that brings us there.
I did not recognize the value of this teaching easily. From the age of 21 to 28 I lived as a gay activist, accepting and preaching the message the gay community offers today: active homosexuality. As long as it was practiced safely and in commitment, was no worse than heterosexual activity under the same guide lines. Scriptural or other teachings which argued other wise were simply-out-of-date and were probably authored by homophobes.
I speedily went about accumulating the things that made up a successful gay life. I look a lover for a long-term relationships, got on the fast track at work and vacations at gay resorts. My friends were gay, my relationship was gay, my workplace was gay friendly and my life seemed filled with tough and pleasure.
But I was not happy. My heart tossed restlessly, as St. Augustine’s had also, and every new pleasure brought only sharper pangs. After having some much of what the gay world took for granted, it wasn’t enough and in the early spring of my twenty-eight year I turned my life over to Jesus Christ and began to explore what raking up my cross meant.
That exploration led me gradually, and with many fits and starts, to the Roman Catholic faith where I have lived, gratefully ever, since. The church’s teaching on homosexual orientation and chastity have been to great liberations on my journey. The uniqueness of Catholic teaching on homosexual orientation stems mainly from its lack of determinism.
Men and women with homosexual orientation are neither automatically candidates for praise (on the grounds of their being oppresses) or damnation (on account of inherent sinfulness). Just like everyone else, they can choose either good or evil. This is a position filled with respect because of recognizers us a being children of God and not mere beasts subject to instinct alone.
The church’s corollary position that homosexuals are called to chastity, also contributes to this teaching’s unique expression of grace because of what it teaches about love. Contemporary culture is filled with counterfeits to love. We say we “love” food, “love” or pets. “love” the outdoors, “love” our parents and children and “love” our spouses. But some much of the time we don not love then as much what they can do for use. We love food for its taste, pets for their companionship. The outdoors for its beauty and we often bind up or love for parents, children and spouses with conditions and tinge it with self-interest.
THIS HAS played out most strongly in my experience of life before committing to chastity and life afterwards. When I was homosexually active with my partner we would sometime call our acts “making love”, but it was not some love as utility. Each made the other, with their consent, a means to and end. But that is not love. And it contrasts sharply with my experience after committing myself to chastity.
To the surprise of almost everyone, and in defiance of all attempts to label us, our relationships has continued after our ceasing sexual activity. We found that our emotional commitment suffers most when sex becomes part of a friendship. Chaste love can be difficult at times, but then so ca all living in truth.
I give thanks to God that the Catholic Church understands this well enough to teach, and to have supported and organization in the United States called Courage, which exists to help homosexuals live out this teaching. Over the course of my two years in Courage I have mode more, and deeper friendships than I ever did during all the time I was actively gay and I an convinced that such a witness will help our surrounding culture come to a deeper understanding of the true nature of love.