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Men of God Homosexual and Catholic Identity Negotiation, Through Holland‟S Catholic Priests Kyle Alexander SIT Study Abroad SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2011 Men of God Homosexual and Catholic Identity Negotiation, Through Holland‟s Catholic Priests Kyle Alexander SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons Recommended Citation Alexander, Kyle, "Men of God Homosexual and Catholic Identity Negotiation, Through Holland‟s Catholic Priests" (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1092. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1092 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MenHomosexual of and God Catholic Identity Negotiation, Through Holland‟s Catholic Priests Kyle Alexander Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Netherlands: International perspectives on sexuality & gender, SIT Study Abroad, Spring 2011 University Affiliation: Fordham University, Departments of Psychology and Sociology Author: Alexander, Kyle Academic Director: Kevin Connors, Advisor: Balázs Boross Europe, Netherlands, Amsterdam Men of God 2 Consent to Use of Independent Study Project (ISP) Student Name: Kyle Alexander Title of ISP: Return of the Faithful. Examining the Contemporary Dutch Gay, Catholic Male. Program and Term: Netherlands: International perspectives on sexuality & gender. Fall 2010 1. 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Student Signature: _________________xKyle Alexander Date:_____5/6/2011______ (Kyle Alexander) Men of God 3 Running Head: MEN OF GOD Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how the Dutch gay Catholic man negotiates his seemingly contradictory sexual and religious identities. Homophobic interpretations of Catholic doctrine and belief often leave the gay Catholic man distanced and isolated from his faith. The current study expands on previous psychosocial literature by providing a more fluid and humanist theoretical framing of identity negotiation; as well as a historical, political, and psychological understanding of the gay Catholic men in Dutch context. Three life stories of Dutch Gay Catholic priests were collected and critically engaged to comment on the larger issue of religious and sexual identity negotiation in general. Celibacy was not found as a solution for the cognitive dissonance experienced by the gay priests (and in general), as sexual identity was found to be a core identity, not simply defined by physical coitus. The complete acceptance or rejection of Catholicism or homosexuality in the gay Catholic man‟s life was found to be an inappropriate and un-realistic solution to identity conciliation, as said conciliation was found to be a: fluid, highly individualistic, constant negotiation depending on environmental variables (religious upbringing, urban/rural geographic area, conservatism of parish and peer group, etc…) spanning the gay Dutch Catholic man‟s lifetime. Future research in this area should examine differing sexual orientations, gender, religious and ethnic expressions to broaden the understanding of the process of identity negotiation. Men of God 4 Table of Contents Introduction..............................................................................................................................5 Executive Summary........................................................................................................6 Historical Frame of Roman Catholic Teachings on Homosexuality…………..7 Catholicism in the Netherlands………………………………………………..9 Political & Legal Recognition of Dutch Homosexuals………………………..10 Review of Existing Identity Negotiation Literature ………………………………………11 Towards a More Fluid Theoretical Framing…………………………………………..12 Phase Mentality………………………………………………………………..13 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………….14 Presentation & Analysis of Data…………………………………………………………….16 Vincent………………………………………………………………………....16 Pieter…………………………………………………………………………...19 Nicolaas………………………………………………………………………..22 Common Themes……………………………………………...……….25 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………26 Challenging Dutch Liberalism………………………………………………………….26 Recommendations for Helping Professionals……………………………………… ….28 Characteristics of Psychologist…………………………………………………30 Future Directions………………………………………………………………..31 References………………………………………………………………………………………33 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………40 Men of God 5 Men of God Homosexual and Catholic Identity Negotiation, Through Holland‟s Catholic Priests hen the other priests found out that I was gay, they gave me a small candle .Every night, I was to light the candle and ask God W to heal me. So I did. I lit my candle each night and tried to pray away my homosexuality. But after awhile I found that it didn‟t work, it didn‟t work at all. I was very close to suicide at this point in my life. My whole life I did pray, and God has never answered me once. So in a way, I thought I should stop believing, believing for me was never really healthy…This didn‟t mean that I was going to stop with religion or believing entirely, it was more that I found that it didn‟t work this way… From that point onwards, to me, spirituality became something more of music, of literature, of mindfulness. ~ Vincent The Dutch Catholic priest who happens to be gay, provides us with a lens to view the Catholic and homosexual identities in their purest form of conflict. The priest proves himself the most untainted of subjects, when examining the core identity of Catholicism within Dutch society. The Dutch Catholic priest has traditionally been isolated from the majority of social influences, kept safely behind seminary and rectory doors, allowing his Catholic identity to evolve and develop unencumbered by the majority of Dutch political and cultural underpinnings of increased secularism. While other Dutch Catholic citizens may place great importance on their Catholic identity, this emphasis cannot rival the priest‟s level of devotion. While the typical citizen may attend Church on Sundays, the priest defines all aspects of his personhood on his faith. His work, social, political and spiritual identities are all predicated on his Catholic faith. When the priest possesses an additional homosexual identity, this facet dramatically contrasts with all other aspects of the priest‟s being. As traditionally, the homosexual identity and behavior, is radically opposed by official Catholic doctrine. Therefore the gay Catholic priest Men of God 6 must navigate these conflicting identities, developing coping strategies to ease the cognitive dissonance he feels from being simultaneously a highly devote Catholic in a secular realm, and a gay man in the stereotypical gay capital of the world that: is Amsterdam, and The Netherlands. Executive Summary When one first begins thinking about how the gay Dutch man negotiates being gay and Catholic in Holland, it may first appear an insignificant question too pose. After all, the urban areas of the Netherlands are continually heralded as
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