CHURCH TEACHING ON

HOMOSEXUALITY

GRADE 7

#LOVEWINS
#CELEBRATEPR
IDE

WHAT DOES THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH SAY
ABOUT THIS?

 The Catholic Church's teaching on

homosexuality is often widely misunderstood
by the general public, even though it has
been clearly explained in the Pastoral Letter
to Homosexuals, published in 1986 by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, and in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in
paragraphs 2357 to 235.

This is due, it seems, to the

interpretation given to the
Church's statement that
homosexual acts are "intrinsically
disordered."

REMINDER
One must note that the Church's concern
rests on freely consensual acts and not
on a tendency or inclination. To have a
tendency or inclination does not involve
the moral order. It is neither morally
good nor morally wrong.

WHAT DOES DISORDER

MEAN?
As for the word disordered, which
is borrowed from classical
morality, it is used to describe a
general behaviour held to be
deviant in relation to the moral
norm.

WHAT THE CHURCH

EMPHASIZES?
The norm considered here is that
sexual relations are carried out by
two people of opposite sex.

Therefore when the Church speaks

about homosexuality as an
"objective disorder", it is speaking
not of the tendency but of genital
acts between people of the same
sex.

THE CHURCH RESPECTS

The church recognizes the dignity
of all persons and neither defines
nor catalogues them according to
their sexual orientation.

As the Congregation for the

Doctrine of Faith mentions, "every
person has a fundamental
identity: the creature of God, and
by grace his child and heir to
eternal life." All human beings are
precious in God's eyes.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I LOVE

SOMEONE?
The love that one person has for
another is a gift from God and
implies observance of his law by
all people regardless of their
sexual orientation.

DOES THE CHURCH CARE ABOUT

THE HOMOSEXUALS?
The Church is consistent with its
doctrine in affirming the dignity of
homosexuals.

The Church has always taught that

the sexual (genital) expression of
love is found, according to God's
plan of creation, uniquely in
marriage, that is,in the
permanent union between a man
and a woman.

THE CHURCH IS FIRM ON THEIR STANCE

AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE

Consequently, the Church can in

no way put a homosexual
partnership on the same footing
as a heterosexual marriage.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF

MARRIAGE?
Finally, the sexual (genital)
expression of love must allow for
the eventual creation of new life.
For these reasons, the Church
does not approve of homosexual
genital acts.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY

ABOUT THIS?
Romans 1:26-28
For this reason God gave them up to
dishonorable passions. For their women
exchanged natural relations for those that are
contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave
up natural relations with women and were
consumed with passion for one another, men
committing shameless acts with men and
receiving in themselves the due penalty for
their error. And since they did not see fit to
acknowledge God, God gave them up to a
debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

 1 Timothy 1:10
The sexually immoral, men who
practice homosexuality,
enslavers, liars, perjurers, and
whatever else is contrary to
sound doctrine,

 Jude 1:7
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and
the surrounding cities, which
likewise indulged in sexual
immorality and pursued
unnatural desire, serve as an
example by undergoing a
punishment of eternal fire

SODOM AND GOMORRAH

Threeangelsvisited
Abraham, God's handpicked founder of his
chosen nation, Israel. They
came disguised as men,
travelers along the road.
Two of them went down to
Sodom and Gomorrah, to
observe firsthand the
wickedness in those cities.

 The other visitor, who was the

Lord, stayed behind. He revealed
to Abraham that he was going to
destroy the cities because of the
evil ways of their people.

Abraham, a special friend of the

Lord, began to bargain with God
to spare the cities if there were
righteous people in them.

When the two angels arrived at

Sodom that evening, Abraham's
nephewLotmet them at the city
gate. Lot and his family lived in
Sodom. He took the two men to
his home and fed them.

Then all the men of

the city surrounded
Lot's house and
said, "Where are the
men who came to
you tonight? Bring
them out to us so
that we can have
sex with them."
(Genesis 19:5,NIV)

By ancient custom,
the visitors were
under Lot's
protection. Lot was
so infected by the
wickedness of
Sodom that he
offered the
homosexuals his
two virgin

The angels struck the rioters

blind!

Leading Lot, his wife, and two

daughters by the hand, the angels
hurried them out of the city. The
girls' fiancs would not listen and
stayed behind.

Lot and his family

fled to a tiny
village calledZoar
. The Lord rained
down burning
sulfur on Sodom
and Gomorrah,
destroying the
buildings, the
people, and all the

Lot's wife disobeyed the angels,

looked back, and turned into a
pillar of salt.

THE MISSION OF THE

CHURCH
By its mission, the Catholic Church
is called to present in every age a
demanding vision and ethic of
marriage and sexuality.

The Church is however conscious that its teaching

can sometimes be difficult to put into practise. Also,
when faced with failures, the Church must exercise
its pastoral sense: it cannot reject those who are
confronted with failures, but should help bring them
to a better understanding and acceptance of the
doctrine given to it by God.

The church recognizes and

defends the human rights of each
person.

However, it cannot recognize as

part of these rights the fulfilment
of acts that are morally wrong.

All persons have the basic human

right to be treated by individuals
and society with dignity, respect
and justice regardless of their
behaviour. For sure, the
homosexual community is not an
exception to this; it has a
particular right to pastoral care
from the Church.