A Catholic Response to the Pride Movement
Catholics need to teach what the Church actually teaches
In the Catholic world, the focus in June is the devotion to the Sacred Heart. In the secular world, one of the focuses (or foci) is Pride month. This is a movement many Catholics misunderstand.
The word pride, in this context, refers not to the sin of pride, the mother of all sins, but the lack of shame for discovering, through no fault of their own, their same sex attraction. That is the origin of the word in this context. So those Catholics who mock the movement because of the nature of the word in a theological context just show they misunderstand it.
That word and its meaning in this context and the movement are two different spheres. Likewise, the pride movement has a totally different connection and in fact many in the gay community who describe themselves as out want nothing to do with the movement at all. You will not find them at pride parades or wearing pride colors. They celebrate the meaning of the word in its context but they will explain to you that in their experience, the movement went off the rails from its original purpose.
The Pride Movement began in the aftermath of the Stonewall Riots at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Manhattan in June, 1969. The establishment which is now a National Historic Place maintained by the United States Park Service was where a three day riot took place after the New York Police Department raided the inn because it was a gay bar. Back then, it was illegal to be homosexual and anyone who was found to have what Catholics call today same sex attraction could be fired from their job, discharged from the military, imprisoned and more.
The mission of the Stonewall Riots was to put an end to this treatment. It was a goal decades in the making especially since the restrictions were put in place against homosexuals during the Eisenhower Administration.
The first New York pride parade was in Manhattan starting on Christopher Street in 1970.
An important question for Catholic parishes during this time.
What is the Catholic response?
Last year, in a homily, I addressed why the parish will not fly a pride flag. The answer is simple. It begins with asking the question are all welcome in a Catholic Church? The Church invites all those who care to encounter Christ into her congregations. The only requirement is that you desire to grow in your encounter with Christ. The pride flags says the gay community is welcome to seek Christ but what about others? Some will say we have a calling to holiness. That is true but holiness means to live differently than the world. The actual definition is to live set apart. Committing oneself to union Christ will do this by default.
How is the Church called to address the issue of those with same-sex attraction?
The answer is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Remember, in the Catholic Church, all sexual behavior outside of a sacramental marriage that is open to life is sinful. Even within the heterosexual world that is true. Therefore, to focus on those who are homosexual while remaining blind to similar issues among heterosexuals is incorrect.
The Church’s official teaching on the origins of homosexuality is: Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. (CCC 5327)
Therefore, according to Church teaching, there is no comprehension of how homosexuality occurs. This means that conversion therapy which has a long history of lack of success is not Church teaching because there is no known cause found. Therefore, no known cure can be found as well. Some anecdotal evidence indicates a neurological origin as same sex attraction seems to be common in some forms of epilepsy among other neurological issues. In any case, no one chooses it as a permanent element of his or her nature.
The Church teaches tools to help people live chaste lives as Catholics, regardless of their sexual orientation. Find them in the Catechism in the discussion on chastity (CCC 2337-2359). They include prayer, mortification and friendship. These are all essential elements for every person seeking to live as a Catholic. Often, those who put demands on the homosexual do not teach the latter. Further, the English version of the catechism contains a mistranslation in the description of the need for friendship among homosexuals living in chastity. The word the English version uses to modify friendship in paragraph 2359 is disinterested. What does that mean in this context? I don’t know but I don’t need to know, that is not the word in Latin. The original language of the Catechism, Latin, describes the tool as: amicitiae gratuitae—gratuitious friendship.
David and Jonathan model of gratuitous friendship
Parents of gay adults share concerns that their son or daughter with same sex attraction will have to live a lonely life as celibate men and women if they remain Catholic because of their homosexuality. However, that is not what the Church actually teaches. All Catholics seeking chastity should have good Christ centered friendships. If you are looking for a model based in scripture, look up David and Jonathan in the Second Book of Samuel. They had a tremendously strong love for each other in their same sex friendship. This would be one model of chaste love that all those not married can seek. Another model from more recent times is Cardinal John Henry Newman and Ambrose St. John. Two friends who had a similar deep love for each other.
During June, you will see lots of snide ignorant comments within Catholic circles mocking “Pride Month”. However, few will address what the Church actually teaches. The prudent Catholic will accurately present Church teaching in all circumstances.
Pope Paul VI, in Humanae Vitae called on priests to proclaim to married couples:
“. . . the necessary way of prayer and prepare them to approach more often with great faith the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance. Let them never lose heart because of their weakness.” (#29)
Should we not say the same thing to those in the homosexual community who no longer want to live in shame for possessing a nature through no fault of their own?
Fr. Robert J Carr is pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Allston, MA
The parish podcast is at CatholicAudioMedia.com
He is the author of several books including: Christ in Your Humanity