Church makes a clear distinction between homosexual person and homosexual act

DICK KEANE (Letters, June 26) says the Pope’s views on homosexuality are “intrinsically immoral” and “objectively disordered”.

This is a most unfair, generalised statement that makes no distinction between person and act.

It shows that Mr Keane completely misunderstands the Catholic church’s teaching on the matter.

Firstly, it is not simply the Pope’s view. The matters that the Pope presents by means of exhortation, homily or encyclical are, in the words of Pius XII, “matters taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of which it is true to say ‘he who hears you, hears me’ ” (Humani Generis, 1950).

Generally, what is expounded and inculcated in these teachings appertains to Catholic doctrine, in other words, to the deposit of the faith. Secondly, Mr Keane must learn to distinguish between the homosexual person and the homosexual act. The Catholic church, not just the Pope alone, teaches that God loves every person as a unique individual. Sexual identity helps to define the unique persons we are. One component is sexual orientation. God does not love someone any less simply because he or she is homosexual.

The Catholic church promotes the concept of gays and lesbians remaining sexually inactive. It teaches, in truth, that only within marriage does sexual intercourse fully symbolise the creator’s dual design, as an act of covenant love with the potential of co-creating new human life.

The Catholic cathecism makes the distinction between person and act when it teaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved”.

Only within a marriage between a man and a woman is sexual intercourse open to the possible creation of new human life. Thus all sexual activity outside of marriage, is “objectively immoral” — not just homosexual activity.

Fergal O’Neill

1 Gleann Na Riogh Close

Naas

Co Kildare