Dear Catholic Exchange:
My literature professor said that historically the Church taught that homosexuality was a gift from God (though, he added, a gift it was sinful to follow through on). He said that then-Cardinal Ratzinger changed this when he stated that homosexuality was objectively disordered towards evil. As evidence, he cited Dante's “Purgatory”, where the souls of those being purified of Lust are treated equally whether homosexual or heterosexual — they merely run in opposite directions. Can you comment on the Church's history of attitude towards homosexuality?
A bit confused,
Stephen
Dear Stephen,
Peace in Christ!
Your literature professor’s statements are distorted or wrong on a number of points.
But, since you asked about history, Persona Humana, the “Declaration On Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics” was issued in 1975, before Ratzinger’s time at the CDF. In Section VIII, the last paragraph makes the same statement he attributed to Ratzinger: “This judgment of Scripture does not of course permit us to conclude that all those who suffer from this anomaly are personally responsible for it, but it does attest to the fact that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and can in no case be approved of.”
It should be noted that the Church usually stresses that the teaching of homosexuality has been constant. This section refers to “the constant teaching of the Magisterium and to the moral sense of the Christian people.” It should also be noted that the Church teaches at times when needed. “Constant teaching” means that when it is taught, it is taught this way. When cultures did not promote same-sex attraction, there were no pronouncements. On the other hand, it would make sense that the CDF would make a number of statements during the past few decades, leading to the conclusion by those who do not have an ecclesiastical sense that the teaching has been invented.
You can work your way back through the documents, as they tend to refer to previous pronouncements to show continuity. I found Persona Humana by starting in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I “Googled” the Vatican website “homosexual site: vatican.va” and got a few recent documents. One cited the early Church fathers:
“Sacred Scripture condemns homosexual acts “as a serious depravity… (cf. Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10). This judgment of Scripture does not of course permit us to conclude that all those who suffer from this anomaly are personally responsible for it, but it does attest to the fact that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered”. This same moral judgment is found in many Christian writers of the first centuries and is unanimously accepted by Catholic Tradition.”
The previous cites “St. Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians, V, 3; St. Justin Martyr, First Apology, 27, 1-4; Athenagoras, Supplication for the Christians, 34.” Writings of the early Church Fathers are generally available on the Internet.
I encourage you to see what you can find. Also, please see our Faith Fact Male and Female He Created Them: The Church and “Same-Sex Marriages”.
United in the Faith,
Eric Stoutz
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
Editor's Note: To submit a faith question to Catholic Exchange, email faithquestions@catholicexchange.com. Please note that all email submitted to Catholic Exchange becomes the property of Catholic Exchange and may be published in this space. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity. Names and cities of letter writers may also be published. Email addresses of viewers will not normally be published.
