Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - In a situation today in which no few Catholics have adopted a “liberal” individualistic, idea of conscience rejecting the communional idea which sees the individual Christian and the Church as one body, given the gravity of the question and the urgency of the moment, it is necessary to shed light among other things on manipulations of percentages of the phenomenon of homosexuality, that the tendency, is innate or ‘third gender 1) (Cfr Lettera ai Vescovi della Chiesa Cattolica sulla collaborazione dell’uomo e della donna nella Chiesa e nel mondo, Vatican City 2004, n 2,) almost a natural and normal condition of the person and on all the other little known aspects, in order to demonstrate the fundamental fact that human dignity lies in man’s sovereign ability to decide his actions and act freely, not in the homosexual or heterosexual leaning; which is in itself a psychological anomaly (5) (neurosis, etc). The phenomenon has a complex psycho-genesis and socio-genesis, which, at the most, can give rise to hormonal or functional alterations (but this has yet to be demonstrated and would seem improbable). In general terms it must be tackled in a perspective of therapy and change. With enough effort and motivation, therapeutic prospects are good.
The strategy on the part of Catholics should start by calling attention to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on this matter 2. (Articles 2357-2359 and 2396); then underlining the important positive influence of God’s grace on the person and his actions, which can strengthen virtues; grace is not ineffective for resisting homosexual temptations. Further, it should unhook ideas on homosexuality from other just convictions present in the conscience (respect, equality, no unjust discrimination, a natural condition must have some outlet). Lastly it should earmark serious studies open to the perspective of change and conversion regarding homosexual persons, and all Christians, criticising and warning against deformed studies. The truth must be said about homosexuality with charity, indifference must be demolished.
Lastly the whole question must aim to demonstration the inseparability of rights from values. We witness this paradox. The authorities ask for values! But then those who practice them are treated with some mistrust. Those who embrace them are even at times treated as of they were unbalanced or obscurantist. A healthy human mentality does still exist, despite progressive conceptual erosion of the ‘right’. It is necessary to go the Enlightenment origin of European law. There were values referred to human reason and religion, not only as due to history but also for philosophic reasons. It has always been clear that the right of individual freedom is decisive. However it is inevitable, if we wish to avoid the collapse of the State, for subjectivism to be limited. Society must continually establish rules in order to survive. Human nature, since Original Sin, is wounded, it cannot always see clearly what is necessary for survival. Besides human reason, what is needed is the light of Revelation. It is good to take up what was written by Pope John Paul II in his last book ‘Memory and Identity’. Is this politically realistic? By way of an answer we refer to the reasoning proposed by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Cfr Europa, O. c, p 121). (Agenzia Fides 27/7/2006 - righe 37, parole 512
