B NDINGS Vol. 37 No. 1 A Publication of New Ways Ministry Fall-Winter 2017 Bishop calls homosexuality ‘gift from God,’ seeks to end ‘prejudices that kill’ By Inés San Martín Prejudice, he said, is a “concept Cruxnow.com before an experience,” and it’s what August 9, 2017 blinded generations to slavery, and what blinds Europe today to the “drama of A Brazilian bishop said July 30 that refugees.” homosexuality is a “gift from God.” Cruz, appointed bishop by Pope Seeing the reaction his homily generated, Francis in 2014, after he served in some of Bishop Antônio Carlos Cruz Santos of Brazil’s most infamous favelas, or slums, Caicó then released a statement saying said the Argentine pontiff is sometimes that his only scope was to “save lives,” accused by “some who want to be more after learning about the high statistics of Roman than the pope,” of wanting to suicide among the LGBT community. water down the Church’s teaching, “they “If it is not a choice, if it is not a say we’re selling ourselves, that he’s disease, in the perspective of faith it can selling the doctrine for something cheap. only be a gift,” the bishop of Caicó in the “In truth, what Pope Francis wants is Rio Grande do Norte state said during his to make mercy the starting point of homily at a Mass closing the feast of Catholic doctrine,” he said. “And mercy, Santana de Caicó, always marked on the people, is not cheap: Mercy is very Sunday following the feast of Sts. Joachim expensive. Christ paid a high price for and Anne. mercy.” “The gospel par excellence is the Cruz also quoted Francis’s famous gospel of inclusion,” said the bishop. “The line “If someone is gay and is searching gospel is a narrow door, yes, it is a for the Lord and has good will, then who demanding love, but it is a door that is am I to judge him?” adding, just as the always open. pope did at the time, on the flight back “When you look at homosexuality, from Rio de Janeiro in 2013, that the Bishop Antônio Carlos Cruz Santos you cannot say it’s an option,” Cruz said, Catechism of the Catholic Church says adding that a choice has to be made freely, that gay people are not to be marginalized video on YouTube, was praised by challenging the teachings of the while sexual orientation is something a from society. some and criticized by many others, Catechism. Furthermore, he quotes person discovers “one day.” “It’d be good for orthodox who even call his words a heresy and point 2358 of the Catechism of the However, he said, a person can chose [Catholics] to read the Catechism of demanded the Vatican to get involved. Catholic Church. how to live his or her sexual orientation, the Catholic Church.” Seeing the many reactions, Cruz “The number of men and women “in a dignified, ethical way, or in a The prelate also quoted Francis’s released a statement on the diocesan who have deep-seated homosexual promiscuous one. But promiscuity can be document on the family, Amoris website on Sunday, a week after his tendencies is not negligible,” the lived in any of the orientations.” Laetitia, in which the pope talks about homily. In it, the bishop stood by his section he quoted in full says. “This The bishop then said that “accompanying, discernment and remarks, saying that his goal was to inclination, which is objectively homosexuality hasn’t been considered as a welcoming” families in irregular “save lives, contributing so that we disordered, constitutes for most of disease by the World Health Organization unions, acknowledging that even can overcome the prejudices that kill.” them a trial. They must be accepted since the 1990s, and given this, and the though it was addressed to divorced The bishop said that he did not with respect, compassion, and fact that a person doesn’t choose to be and civilly remarried Catholics, it want to induce anyone to make a sensitivity. Every sign of unjust gay, same-sex attraction can only be “a could apply to gay people too. mistake, but that he followed the discrimination in their regard should gift from God. It’s given by God. But The bishop began his homily guidelines of the church and of be avoided. These persons are called to perhaps our prejudices do not get the gift talking about a radio interview that Francis. fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if of God.” really affected him. The host was “As Pope Francis told us many they are Christians, to unite to the During his homily, Cruz said that talking about a professor who did his times, people already know by heart sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the when slavery was accepted, black people thesis on the prevalence of suicide the doctrine of the Church about difficulties they may encounter from weren’t considered human, “they said we among transvestites and transsexuals. abortion, divorce and homosexual their condition.” black people didn’t have a soul,” because On hearing this report, he said, he acts,” Cruz wrote. “He asks us not to Following this statement, Cruz of “prejudices.” began to think about “so many be obsessed with sin, increasing the said his reflection as a pastor moved “Just as we were able to leap, in the brothers and sisters with a homosexual wounds of these people, and insists by the “weaknesses of his flock, wisdom of the Gospel, and overcome orientation who feel misunderstood that the doors of the church are open to without wanting to minimize the slavery, is it not the time for us to leap, and unloved by us, who are Church, by welcome, instruct, discern, love in doctrinal and moral dimensions that from a perspective of faith, and overcome their families, by their society and order to bring salvation to all without the subject matter involves, my prejudices against our brothers who even by themselves, as it was in the exception.” intention is to save lives, helping to experience same-sex attraction?” the days of slavery.” The bishop also wrote that his overcome prejudices that kill and enter bishop asked. The bishop’s homily, available in intention on addressing the issue was into the dynamic of God’s mercy that merely pastoral, and that he’s not respects, rescues and saves people.” National Catholic Reporter Editorial: Time for dialogue on sexual ethics By Editorial Staff church? Without a change in the church’s of the sexual act. Therefore, according to conception impossible, such as use of The National Catholic Reporter teaching on sex and sexuality, can LGBT the catechism, all sex acts between contraceptives, is “intrinsically August 9, 2017 people ever hope to be treated with equal- married couples must be “ordered per se evil” (2370). The catechism also con- ity and justice by the hierarchy? to the procreation of human life” (2366). demns masturbation as an “intrinsically The Catholic community should There is good precedent for This “procreative norm” dates back more and gravely disordered action” because thank Jesuit Fr. James Martin for writ- development of the than 1,500 years to “the deliberate use of the sexual faculty, ing Building a Bridge: How the Catholic church’s sexual the time of for whatever reason, outside of marriage Church and the LGBT Community Can ethics, particularly Augustine, who is essentially contrary to its pur- Enter into a Relationship of Respect, in the last 50 years. developed the idea pose” (2352). Compassion, and Sensitivity. Many For centuries, Cath- in response to his As a case in point, see Springfield, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender olic doctrine insist- belief in the sinful, Illinois, Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s list of Catholics have spent years on the margins ed that pro-creation uncontrollable Catholics he suggests should not present of our community inviting such dialogue. was the sole justi- nature of sexual themselves for holy Communion. This book cracks open a new door to opp- fication for sexual arousal. The institutional church’s vocal ortunities to ask important questions about acts and that sexual- Today, the objections to same-sex marriage often the inclusion of LGBT Catholics in the ity was funda- procreative norm is mask the fact that church teaching is church, and those opportunities should be mentally disor- one of the funda- fundamentally opposed to sexual acts that seized. dered. These teach- mental reasons the a majority of human beings participate in. Martin’s book exhorts church leaders ings were question- church remains The church condemns any sex acts — and LGBT Catholics to come together in ed and modified in opposed to same- including those engaged in by married dialogue. Using the words of the the mid- sex relationships. couples — that do not respect the procreat Catechism of the Catholic Church, he 20th century in the But, in reality, this -ive norm. Therefore, in reality, few calls both sides to treat one another with documents of the doctrine has far- Catholics ever live up to the church’s “respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” Second Vatican reaching conse- moral norms governing sexual activity. This is good advice, and those in the hier- Council and Pope quences for all As stark as these teachings are, other archy who have made such outreach — Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae (“On Catholics, regardless of sexual orientation issues related to sexual relationships Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Human Life”). Today, the church or gender identity. remain unclear and underdeveloped, such Jersey, and Bishop Patrick McGrath of recognizes that sex between a man and a Much is often made about the as the church’s positions on divorce and San Jose, California, to name just two — woman within the bond of sacramental church’s teaching that same-sex rela-tions remarriage, the single life and celibacy.