By Bishop Henrique Soares da Costa
Growing in strength on the winds in our society is the canonization of homosexuality … In this regard, I would like to propose some reflections – and I ask you, my dear friend, look good considering what I’m saying. no I would like here to raise flags or promote cross … Read what I write calmly, looking
understand and contextualize my words in all of what I mean.
I want to make clear I speak to Christians, to those wishing to guide their life and think according to the Gospel as we received it from the Apostolic Tradition and is taught by the Holy Church of Christ. My goal here is only to help Catholics think this complex issue of homosexuality in the light of Jesus Christ. only this!
Here are the topics I would like to present:
1. It is necessary that homosexual people be respected and are not stigmatized by their sexual tendencies. Violence against homosexuals – whether they be physical or moral – is a crime, and before God, a sin.
Each person must be respected with their features and their history, their choices and way of life, as long as this does not harm the rest.
2. It is also correct to desire that each person has the right to live their life according to their values and conscience, by respecting the common good and the standards of good social coexistence.
However, it is unacceptable for minorities of organized homosexuals who want to impose on all society their values and their way of thinking, destroying the genuine sense of what is family and of what is marriage …
For example: If two people of the same sex desire to live together “maritally”, it is a right of their choice. It is also a right that the law provides to them for the rights and duties arising from this coexistence. But it is not a right to want impose on all of society to call this situation “Marriage” because this changes the concept of
marriage in the entire society!
It is one thing is to respect the right of a minority, quite another, for the minority impose on all the majority a core change of values like family and marriage as a stable relationship and open to life between a man and a women. The right of one should not undermine the right of others!
3. The sincere respect which we must have for the homosexuals should not and can not mean that all are required to make a positive assessment of homosexuality and, even more, the homosexual practice.
Respect the person, their tendencies, their options, Yes. As for the evaluation of their actions and way of life, it depends on the criteria that someone take as meaning of human existence … So for an atheist, the criterion is himself and his way of thinking; he is its measure and even he must be respected!
For a believer, the criterion of right and wrong is God himself: to what God calls wrong, the believer can only call wrong too! So and, for a Christian, the criterion of all also of aspects relating to sexuality is to Christ to which what is believed and proclaimed by the Church within the Apostolic Tradition.
The Christian is not rooted in fads, not based his criteria on the voice of the majority, but in Christ Jesus, as Ultimate Truth for humanity.
The Christian must respect the opinion of others, but your opinion is founded in Christ Jesus!
4. Let us now think of the homosexual Christian.
For a pagan world like ours, to people who do not have as criteria the Gospel, being homosexual and living homosexuality are not are problems, nor is infidelity marriage, nor premarital relations and other realities
And why is this? Why not believing in Christ, It is not the criterion! And what is the criterion? Generally and I say with all due respect! the criterion of non-believers is themselves, their way of thinking, feeling and living …
It is their right: to think and to live as wish!
But for someone who believes in Christ and desires to live according to the Christian faith, to be a homosexual being bears difficulties, conflicts and pain. This is because the discretion of the life of a Christian is not fashion, it is not the dominant mentality, is not even the self, the criterion is the norm of the Gospel,
expressing the Church’s faith.
So this calls for everyone who believes always deny yourself to embrace life and with life itself, the standard of life of Another – One who said, “Whosoever shall be My disciple, deny yourself and follow me “- is not and will never be a an easy task!
To believe is to leave yourself seeking for an Other, it is deny yourself to encounter the Other, to take the Other as the criteria, the standards and the way of life! And this in all aspects of life, also in issue of sexuality and homosexuality!
So, one thing is a homosexual or atheist their non-Christian standard is their own thinking and measure; another thing is a homosexual Christian his standard is the precept of Christ!
5. A homosexual Christian should rather seek courageously accepting his homosexual reality, not to live his way but the way of Christ!
Therefore, for a Christian, accepting one’s Homosexuality does not mean living it in any way, but to put it under the lordship of Christ!
And what is Christ’s way? Which is His standard to human sexuality?
Certainly this standard is that of sexual life as an expression of love and self-giving to another person in such a communion, sealed by sacrament of marriage, even until death and open to a fruitful way to the children that God gives.
To God, as it has been revealed in the perennial Apostolic tradition – let us be clear – the norm is heterosexuality and not homosexuality!
For a Christian homosexual certainly this causes a serious crisis!
(We all have our crises … also in affective and sexual field … It is true, however, that the crisis in relation to sexuality is much more serious and structural!)
And it must be said: for a Christian with the homo-aftective tendency, homosexuality has the mark of the Cross – it is a cross! But, our Savior Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow Me ”
In other words: “follow me with your homosexual struggles! Follow Me with crises and difficulties in which live gives to you! ”
Homosexuals who want to seriously live their Christian faith should know that they are loved by the Lord,
They are not rejected by the Church, but that they should – as also heterosexuals – put their sexuality under the lordship of Christ. They should strive to be chaste, to be correct, to flee all indiscretion and immorality; they should clearly recognize that homosexual acts in the eyes the Lord God, are not morally correct as is heterosexual intercourse in marriage …
It is therefore very important that a homosexual Christian seek the help of a priest or a mature Christian, thoughtful, faithful to Christ and the Church can help him on his way. Who does not need the help of others in the way of Christ? Is not this the Church? Is not that what faith tells us Christian: have a spiritual orientation with someone who can heal their own wounds and those of the others?
Note that this applies not only to the thinking of a young homosexual … who wishes take chastity seriously, a spouse who really wants to try to be faithful, a politician who sincerely wants to be honest …
Crisis and struggle to leave your own standards and to embrace those of of the Lord is an inheritance of every Christian and Jesus will not prevent you from it.
And if there are falls on the way for this brother homosexual? And if friendships disintergrate into homosexual acts?
He is not discouraged: as any Christian, he tries to look at Christ, ask for forgiveness in the sacrament of penance and resume the path, looking to overcome sin!
What if a homosexual Christian, even recognizing that homosexual acts are not morally acceptable to God, is not able to be chaste, and tries to live with another person of the same sex, including being a sexually active?
You must not think that he is no longer Christian! You should clearly recognize that your situation is not the ideal before God! However, should you live a life worthy as possible before the Lord and of men. You should not leave prayer nor frequency of Mass and must say always – we should all always say fromthe heart, affection, the soul and with tears, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, sinner! ”
Certainly one who decides on a life of practice of homosexual acts should not confess sacramentally or receive the Eucharistic communion, but can rather seek always advice and the help of a priest or a Christian a helper in the way of your following of Christ.
It is very important to understand that there is no misery and human drama that can not be affected by the cross of the Lord. One does not call right what is wrong or
to assess as virtue what the weakness eyes of the Lord; treat it, yes, have mercy, welcome, having compassion on the other!
It is sad that one sees a brother or sister carrying a heavy burden and also to increase the weight with contempt and rejection!
Sin must always be called sin, but the sinner must always be welcomed with mercy and respect and treated like a brother. Who among us is not a sinner? Who is not is injured? Who of us has does not have their spiritual diseases spiritual?
6. We do not know why some people are born homosexuals. We know that they did not choose the tendency to this; we also know that are not morally sick – there are so many homosexuals are worthy and generous!
But we know that they can follow the Lord and They should do their best to be saints, To be real Christians! The rest, we put in the hands of the Lord, with focus on Christ, who died for everyone in a way so atrocious, precisely because great is depth of our miseries and contradictions.
Before such mysteries as well, before the enigmas of existence in the face of pain and the cross of the brothers and sisters, we must look to Heaven and pronounce both moved and humble, that wise Jewish blessing that fits well on the lips of a Christian: “Blessed are Thou, Lord our God, who guards secrets! “
That’s right: He knows the mysteries! He knows the reason: he knows why. We know nothing!
7. This is the difference between thinking in the world in general and the Christian perspective, and even post Christian anti-Christian: for this world, life is without God Himself each has his own truth, criteria and his own understanding of existence! A Christian respects this way of seeing and living, but can not agree with
it …
For the Christian life is a gift, is a mystery to be lived before an Other who loves us and to whom we give an account.
In a world ever more pagan and less Christian, It is getting hard to understand these things …
Christian parents who have homosexual children, I say welcome them with love and respect, We help them to set the values of this life according to the criteria of Christ, never abandon them or treat them with contempt, show them Jesus always as ideal and path to happiness and achievement and, above all all, pray much for
them and respect them in the direction they give to life, decent and responsible, without carelessness or disrespect to the sacred precincts of the home!
8. As for young people “happy and fulfilled” with their “option” sexual,as the world wants and propagates: Have patience: Such is the way of thinking and living of those who no longer know God and His Christ Jesus!
Our Lord also to those as all of us show the blessed light of His Face to you to see the true meaning of life and find true peace and fulfillment!
We can not impose upon the non-believers our values; For them we can pray, and love them and announce to them Jesus Christ fully without masks, that He is the Way, Truth and life of mankind and each person!
Bishop Henrique Soares da Costa
Diocesan Bishop of Palmares Pernambuco
Translated from Portuguese, Fr. Robert J. Carr
