| The official journal of
the Human Family Foundation, "Sequela" is short for "Sequela Christi" (the following of Christ). This holding fast to the very person of Jesus is the simple essence of the Christian life. (cf. VS, 19) |
Featured Friends Thomas F. Madden Thomas Storck Lorenzo Albacete Dermott J. Mullan Mo Woltering Jennaya Arias Catholic News Service John F. Crosby Editorial It’s not an easy question, because the psychological aspects of homosexuality are complex. However, the question needs to be addressed nonetheless, since there are far reaching implications for the well-being of the Church. A good place to start is the Church’s central teaching on ministerial priesthood. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “the priest, by the virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in Persona Christi.” Priests bear the awesome responsibility of representing Christ. This is the main reason why the Church has no authority to ordain women. Not only is Christ a man, He is a Bridegroom. Christ is a husband and a father to His bride the Church. Therefore, in order to serve as a priest, one must be a husband and father to the Church. This is why we call a priest “Father.” Being a husband and a priest are related on many levels. In fact it would probably help to keep this in mind when judging candidates for priesthood. Would the candidate make a good husband and father if he were not otherwise called to priesthood? This criteria is not an attempt to reduce the eligibility for priesthood (or marriage) to sexuality, because at the same time, it would be wrong to reduce homosexuality to sexual attraction. Psychologists and leaders in authentic apostolates to homosexuals maintain that homosexuality is not so much a struggle with sexual identity as it is a struggle with self-identity. The way a person is able to love is foundational to identity of self. If there is a dysfunction or disorder in the way a person loves, it affects the whole person. Men and women love in complimentary, but different ways. The ways of loving unique to the two sexes are essential to the vocations of marriage, priesthood and consecrated life. The problem with homosexuals serving as priests is the inability to love as a whole person analogous to the way a husband and father must love. Ask any woman about the possibility of marrying a homosexual.
Understandably, a woman would want to be loved by a man who is firm in his
self- identity and sexual identity as a man. The same thing is true for
the Church. The Church must be loved and served by priests who are able to
love as husbands and fathers. Comments NEW IVF Violates Human
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