Sir, – Una Mullally (Opinion, January 20th) states without any equivocation: “Teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality are homophobic”.
In my dictionary the definition of “homophobic” is a “hatred or fear of homosexuals”. Is this the level of opinion and analysis now being offered on this topic? Has Ms Mullally read any literature giving the Catholic point of view? I would recommend the 2003 publication by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith entitled, “Unions between homosexual persons”. Some of the headings are as follows:
Position on the problems of homosexual unions.
Arguments from reason against legal recognition of homosexual unions:
From the order of right reason; from the biological and anthropological order; from the social order, from the legal order.
The new American bible in its introduction to St Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth points out that the city was a melting pot full of devotees of various pagan cults and marked by a measure of moral depravity not unusual in a great seaport. Therefore the following admonition should come as no surprise: “Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practising homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6.9).
Later in the same letter, St Paul offers “a still more excellent way” or following the Christian gospel: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. (1 Cor 13.4-7).
It is Catholic teaching that men and women with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
Teachings of the Catholic Church are homophobic, according to Una Mullally? Properly understood and put into practice I hope not. – Yours, etc,
GERRY GLENNON,
Auburn Road,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.