BuzzFeed currently has an article up as their front page banner titled How Not To Annoy Catholics When Talking About The Enclave [sic]. It is written by BuzzFeed staff writer Ellie Hall and is one of those "list" things they think their readers need distilled for them on whatever issue they are presenting. This one focuses on 9 points of propaganda Ellie Hall wants you to take to heart before you dare speak about the happenings in Rome. It is basically regurgitated church doctrine and is apparently designed to dampen any criticism of the church while the spotlight is shone on the selection of their new leader, which moments ago just occurred.
Number 8 on her list is titled The Catholic Church doesn't hate gay people.
The teachings of the Church are straightforward: sex is a fantastic gift of unity and procreation, which is appropriately placed within a loving, committed relationship in the Sacrament of Marriage, which is defined as a sacred union between a woman and a man. Both heterosexual and homosexual people are expected to live a life of virtue and chastity outside of marriage (since gay people can't get married within the Catholic Church, they are called to a lifetime of celibacy). Married couples are told that using artificial contraception, thereby rendering the "marital act infertile," is "intrinsically evil." In other words, the Church feels the same way about premarital heterosexual sex and contraceptive sex as it does about homosexual sex... They're all sins. It's important to note that being gay is not a sin, but engaging in homosexual activity is.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges that homosexual people "do not choose their homosexual condition" and tells Catholics that gay men and women "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided" (CCC 2358).
The United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) further clarified the Church's practical stance on homosexuality through a pastoral message written to parents of homosexual children in 1997, called "Always Our Children." The document helps devout parents come to term with their child's sexuality, reassuring them, "Your [gay] child may need you and the family now more than ever. He or she is still the same person. This child, who has always been God's gift to you, may now be the cause of another gift: your family becoming more honest, respectful, and supportive.
Where to begin to thank Ellie Hall for quoting the church's position that you shouldn't just pack up your gay child's bags and tell them to hit the road. After all, they still need food, clothing and shelter just like real Catholics. Devout parents of gays should see this is a golden opportunity given by God to instill in their child a lifelong feeling of desperate shame along with a healthy dose of admonition that, should they ever seek to express love with another human being, they are going straight to hell.
It is a real honor for Ms. Hall to acknowledge the church's position that we didn't choose this ungodly condition. God chose it for us. Thank goodness the Catholic church is there to judge God's tremendous error and see that we never celebrate our own fantastic gift of sex. Why that is just a disgusting thought. They solved this heavenly oversight by building into their doctrine a divine Catch 22 by not allowing us in on their sacrament of marriage. We are to live a lifetime of celibacy so as not to annoy those around us. Problem solved.
The Catholic church is a loving and respectful institution. They say so right there in their brochure. Good Catholics are supposed to abhor every sign of unjust discrimination, unless that discrimination has the blessing of the Pope. Then it is justified to the point of actively interfering in the business of the state by having their most powerful voices scream their religious liberty to discriminate trumps constitutional rights to equality and freedom from religion. Thanks for all that respect, compassion and sensitivity. We really appreciate the hell out of it.
There is perhaps no better illustration of the full compassion of the Catholic church than the response of Catholic Charities to the passage of civil unions in Colorado yesterday.
The Rev. Samuel J. Aqulia, archbishop of Denver, released a statement Tuesday refuting Ferrandino’s stance on religious exemptions, adding that while the Catholic Church “recognizes and affirms the dignity of every human person,” it does not view all relationships as equal. “The ability for religious-based institutions to provide foster care and adoption services for Colorado’s children is now dangerously imperiled,” Aquila said. “Marriage is a stabilizing institution at the foundation of civil society. Religious liberty is a civil rights issue. Both have been grievously harmed".
So Catholic Charities is threatening to close up shop in Colorado for fear gay families might end up adopting a child. It is abundantly clear that our household is less fit to welcome in an abandoned and unwanted child than to stick them in a Catholic orphanage to bed down with dozens of other human strays. That is the height of Christian love.
Despite Ellie Hall's advice not to annoy her or the church by focusing at this sensitive time on the scandals, discrimination, and hypocrisy that continue to rock the institution, I am doing just the opposite. I can't think of a better time to highlight the misdeeds and constant meddling in people's lives than this very moment as a new Pope is installed. Neither Ellie Hall nor the Catholic church get a free pass from me just because they say so.
Update: The title to the article has been changed to 9 Things You Should Know Before Talking About The Papal Conclave. Apparently it was shameful enough to mistake enclave for conclave to make an edit, but the bigotry of item 8 is left intact. Some mistakes are easier to correct than others.