Tuesday, 6 December 2016

THE CHURCH'S TEACHING ON HOMOSEXUALITY, PART I


Generally, the Catholic view of marriage is based not only on the scriptures, but also on the teaching of the Church, and on reason and natural law. God, from the very beginning of creation, created them male and female and said "for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the Two shall become one flesh, so they are no longer two but one flesh" ( Matt. 19, 4-6)

Our revised translation of the Roman Missal reminds us as Christians "In the union of husband and wife, you give a sign of Christ's loving gift of grace, so that the sacrament we celebrate might draw us back more deeply into the wondrous design of your love"

The Church has always taught that the partnership of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society. The Father of Vatican II argues that "children are meant to be the gift of the permanent and exclusive union of a husband and a wife and are seen as the crown of marriage." A child is meant to have a mother and father. Children long for this and it is their right.

Now, if the marriage is contracted between members of the same sex, who plays the role of the father or mother? Is is an undeniable fact that a child has a right to be raised by both a mother and a father.

The church teaches that marriage is ordered towards an authentic union and the generation of new life, and Richard Malone has added "children are meant to be the gift of the permanent and exclusive union of a husband and a wife." Here we see that no other relationship is capable of realizing this specific communion of persons. Hence, attempting to redefine marriage to include same sex members empties the term of its meaning.

The Church has always stood up for marriage: one man and one woman, United in lifelong and faithful love, leading to new life in children, whenever and wherever it was in danger. The Church according to Bishop Timothy Dolan "is willing to take the heat and even lose our head from following a conscience properly formed by God's revelation and the teaching of his Church, even if it is politically incorrect and clashes with the King's demand to redefine marriage."

 Nevertheless, the Church's view of marriage is heterosexual not homosexual. The Church now rings the steeple bell at this latest dilution of the authentic understanding of marriage and is worried that the next step will be another redefinition to justify multiple partners and infidelity. The US religious leaders once opined "we encourage all people of good will to protect marriage as the union between one man and one woman, and to consider carefully the far reaching consequence for the religious freedom of all American if marriage is redefined."

The meaning and value of marriage precedes and transcends any particular society, government or religious community. This teaching is an affirmation of the teaching of the magisterium.

TO BE CONTINUED
Rabbi

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