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By 23.10.2023 Analytics 116 Comments

Is there a place for LGBT individuals in the Church?

Recently, five Catholic Cardinals sent an open dubia (doubts) to Pope Francis regarding specific questions. One of the dubias was concerning same-sex blessings in the Catholic Church. In his answer the Pope confirmed that marriage “indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to procreation” but at the same time vaguely hinted that same-sex unions can be blessed in the Catholic Church. This article explorers under which circumstances homosexual individuals can find their place in the church. So..

Can a Homosexual Person be in the Church?

The short answer is YES.. BUT.. there are certain conditions to be fulfilled.

As you might know, the Christian teaching on human sexuality is very straightforward and precise.

It can be traced to two verses in Genesis:

“In the image of God he created him, male and female he created them…God blessed them, saying…’Be fruitful, multiply”

(Genesis 1:27-28)

According to Jewish and Christian tradition, sex is a holy activity; therefore it should be performed –

  1. By a man and a woman
  2. In a wedlock (to make the upbringing of siblings safe)
  3. Used only for the purpose of reproduction.

Consequently, the following activities are considered to be sinful, meaning they miss the main aim of sex which is procreation:

  1. Contraception of any kind,
  2. Coitus interruptus (withdrawal)
  3. Any non-procreative sex activity like oral, anal sex, or masturbation
  4. Homosexual sex
  5. Bestiality

Certainly, it goes contrary to modern belief that sex has transcended its procreation purpose and can be used freely. However, the latest demographic data shows that separating sex from procreation purposes often leads to aging and the slow death of whole nations (visit CIA report to witness the shrinking birthrates of post-industrial nations). So a homosexual person who wishes to enter the Church (or remain there) should accept the teaching about human sexuality and impose the discipline of Chastity on him or herself. That leaves only 2 options:

  1. To abstain from sex altogether and to remain single the whole time
  2. To go through therapy, merry and enjoy sex in a marriage

The third option of entering a seminary and becoming a priest or a monk is no longer an option after Pope Benedict XVI approved specific Instructions not allowing Persons with Homosexual Tendencies to enter Seminary and to Holy Order. This measure was taken after multiple homosexual abuse scandals shocked the Church. Defrocked priests Marcial Marcel and Theodore McCarick who abused minors for a long time, were a few examples.

The previous two options might seem impossible to achieve, but there are people who have done this already. Fr. Henry Nouwen was a professor and theologian whose writing and preaching influenced generations of Catholics, he openly struggled with his loneliness, and as it occurred after his death – with homosexuality. He is a great example of a homosexual who remained faithful to his vows of chastity and celibacy.

Henry Nouen
Henry Nouwen

You might think that being alone your whole life is possible, but changing your sexual orientation is unbelievable. This has also been proven to be achievable by the members of organizations like Courage International peer support program. These brave men and women were able to abandon their homosexual habits and became happy family members.

So how is this even possible? you might ask. For us Christians it is simple – God wants every person to be happy and holy. The road to holiness isn’t easy. It takes courage, sacrifices, and dedication, but as Jesus said – “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” So even changing your sexual orientation is achievable if you believe in God.

Is there a place for LGBT individuals in the Church?

Despite the modern propaganda, the homosexual style of life does not lead to happiness or longevity. This means – nothing is impossible for those who believe. Research shows that homo and bisexual persons experience poor mental health twice as often as heterosexuals, and this takes place in Britain where tolerance to the LGBT community is among the highest. Also, two large random sexuality surveys in 1994–one in the USA and the other in Britain–yielded results consistent with a median age of death for homosexuals of less than 50 years. So this is no surprise that some people in the LGBT orbit turn to the Church and embrace conservative values, having enough of their devastating lifestyle.

A homosexual person considering the life-changing decision of joining or staying in the Church is under great psychological pressure. Two destructive behaviors from Christians can alienate them for good:

  1. Accepting homosexuals without any conditions whatsoever into the Church. The Protestant churches that have embraced gay marriages and the LGBT agenda caused internal debates and conflicts and have shrunk in numbers as a result. For instance, The largest Lutheran Church in the world – the Church of Sweden accepted homosexual marriage since 2009 and their number shortened from 70% of the Swedish population in 2010 to 55% in 2020. Canceling moral obligations for one group in the congregation compromises the whole Authority of the Church and leads it to self-destruction.
  2. The second damaging way is a harsh reaction towards gay people and their stubborn nonacceptance. The sexual abuses in the Church performed by homosexuals and aggressive state-sponsored LGBT propaganda cause many Christians to be over-reactive and think stereotypically of all homosexuals as LGBT activists. Not all gay people support the global LGBT agenda. For instance, gay designers Dolce and Gabbana were slammed by Elton John in 2015 for saying that children should have a mother and a father and that surrogate or artificially grown humans are not good ideas.
Dolce & Gabbana DG Family project featuring family photos around the world.

Keep in mind that for the majority of homosexuals (not queers, who love to make the show off their sexuality) being gay is an experience of struggles and suffering that a heterosexual person can’t even imagine. Magnus Hirschfeld, a homosexual and founder of the Institute of Sexology during the time of Weimar Republic, called homosexual men and women:

“unfortunate, disenfranchised people who drag a mysterious riddle of nature through their lonely lives. We must be thankful to any doctor who has new treatment options, because many homosexuals feel the certainly justified desire to feel inherently heterosexual”

Magnus Hirschfeld. Berlin’s Third Sex

So aggressive attitude to those homosexuals who are in the Church (or who wish to be) will only alienate them and throw into the open arms of LGBT chaos.

The third way of embracing the sinner with love and imposing discipline at the same time is the right way to go. This is the way of the Father who accepts the prodigal son – he forgives him because he loves him and accepts back home, although living in Father’s home means accepting the rules of the household and bind yourself to them.

The detail of Father’s hands in Rembrand’s Prodigal Son painting, reflects this notion very well:

Rembrandt
Rembrandt. The Prodigal Son.

“The longer I look at ‘the patriarch’, the clearer it becomes to me that Rembrandt has done something quite different from letting God pose as the wise old head of a family. It all began with the hands. The two are quite different. The father’s left hand touching the son’s shoulder is strong and muscular. The fingers are spread out and cover a large part of the prodigal son’s shoulder and back. I can see a certain pressure, especially in the thumb. That hand seems not only to touch, but, with its strength, also to hold. Even though there is a gentleness in the way the father’s left hand touches his son, it is not without a firm grip. 

“How different is the father’s right hand! This hand does not hold or grasp. It is refined, soft, and very tender. The fingers are close to each other and they have an elegant quality. It lies gently upon the son’s shoulder. It wants to caress, to stroke, and to offer consolation and comfort.”

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Meditation on Fathers, Brothers, and Sons. Henri Nouwen
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