Pope Francis Expounds Catechism, Press Tizzy Follows

Does anyone else remember the mass media's swoon over Pope Benedict's 2010 remarks on condom usage in his book "The Light of the World"?

We thought not, but at the time it was another "9-days wonder" with the media declaring some sort of transcendental change in Catholic teaching (see Diane Sawyer at left). Hey, whatever happened with that, Diane?

 Garrison Keillor once said that if you got your information about the world from watching television you'd know less than if you just stayed in bed all day drinking gin out of the bottle. That observation is certainly validated following the mass media's coverage of Pope Francis' statement about the homosexual lobby, given to reporters on his airplane journey home from world youth day.

Here's what the Holy Father said, in context:

"Addressing the issue of the gay lobby, Pope Francis said it was important to "distinguish between a person who is gay and someone who makes a gay lobby," he said. "A gay lobby isn't good."

"A gay person who is seeking God, who is of good will -- well, who am I to judge him?" the pope said. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says one must not marginalize these persons, they must be integrated into society. The problem isn't this (homosexual) orientation -- we must be like brothers and sisters. The problem is something else, the problem is lobbying either for this orientation or a political lobby or a Masonic lobby."

That is to say, Pope Francis repeated, using other words, the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (and indeed he noted he was doing this):

Chastity and homosexuality

 

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,¹⁴⁰ tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."¹⁴¹ 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.

 

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

 

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.