“What does the Church say about Homosexuality?”

Seminarian gives talk on ministering to those with same-sex attraction

PASSAIC  With the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage is a right nationwide, the Catholic Church has been portrayed in a negative light by the secular media, which has attacked the Church for not accepting the ruling. But according to Cesar Jaramillo, a diocesan seminarian entering his third year at Pontifical North American College in Rome, the Church is far from what media portrays it to be. In fact, while the Church holds firmly to its stance against same-sex marriage, Catholics are always to show love and compassion to those with a same-sex attraction.

Jaramillo addressed the issue in a presentation entitled, “What does the Church say about Homosexuality?” he gave at St. Anthony of Padua Parish here, his home parish. The 25-year-old seminarian said, “Pope Francis has made himself known by his way of speaking. The Holy Father has a unique charism and an ability to transmit the love and mercy of God to everyone — something from which all Christians can learn. One of the most controversial things the Pope has said is, ‘If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?’ This simple declaration by the Holy Father alarmed many, despite the fact that he was not saying anything new.”

Consulting several documents including Catechism of the Catholic Church, different papal encyclicals, Magisterial documents and Sacred Scripture, Jaramillo shared the differences between how the secular media portrays the Church and what the Church really says, the compassion the Church is to give those who are homosexual, and the teaching that all unmarried persons live a chaste life whether they are homosexual or heterosexual.

Jaramillo also shared points from the document, “Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: A Guide to Pastoral Care,” released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2006. “While the Church teaches that homosexual acts are immoral, the Church does distinguish between engaging in homosexual acts and having a homosexual inclination,” he said. “While the former is objectively sinful, the latter is not. Simply having the tendency is not a sin. Consequently, the Church does not teach the experience of homosexual attraction is in itself sinful.”

The purpose of Jaramillo’s talk was to educate Catholics, who often are not sure how to defend what the Church teaches and can often be subjected to ridicule in the secular world. “It is not our duty to judge their consciences but precisely because we are children of God, we are called to walk with them and to encourage them and live according to the Gospel,” he said.

Jaramillo, who is expected to be ordained to the priesthood in 2017, said, “The generation of priests I will be a part of will have to deal with the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision.”

He also shared that those who work with youth or who may have a son or daughter that experiences same-sex attraction, need to encourage and give guidance to young people not to indulge in unchaste acts.

“Persons who experience same-sex attraction and yet are living in accord with Church teaching should be encouraged to take an active role in the life of the faith community,” the seminarian said. “The Church rejects discrimination and harassment of any persons, including those with a same sex inclinations.”