Sir, - David Norris was centrally involved in legal action to change the laws criminalising sexual relations between homosexual men and finally won his case against the Irish Government in the European Court of Human Rights. His letter (July 27th) about the recent decision by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to permanently prohibit Sister Jeannine Gramick, S.S.N.D. and Father Robert Nugent, S.D.S., from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons therefore deserves a considered reply.
First I would like to say that Senator Norris is wrong in believing that "Rome is intent on rebuking, silencing, marginalising or driving from office any of its clerics or theologians who attempt a genuine dialogue with gay people".
Neither Sister Gramick nor Father Nugent has been driven from office for attempting a genuine dialogue with gay people, as Senator Norris alleges, but because, as the Congregation stated, the Commission established to investigate their work "found serious deficiencies in their writings and pastoral activities, which were incompatible with the fullness of Christian morality". While their departure from ministering to homosexual persons is regrettable, it will not leave a void. Many thousands of Catholic clergy throughout the world are involved in the pastoral care of homosexual persons in their parishes.
Not all homosexual persons choose a gay lifestyle. In fact some become priests, others are appointed bishops and I'm sure not a few are raised to the rank of cardinal. At least two are saints - Anselm of Bec and Aelred of Rievaulx who advised, probably from experience: "But whoever finds he is in any way attracted by the sins of the flesh, let him take great heed in regard to the physical attractions of others, for he will almost always find there is something dangerous in them."
The pastoral care of homosexual persons must be based on the norms in the Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, issued in 1986 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It stated that "although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder."
Sister Gramick, while expressing her love for the Church to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, refused to express any assent whatsoever to the teaching of the Church on homosexuality. With regard to the position of Father Nugent, the Congregation stated: "Father Nugent was more responsive, but not unequivocal in his statement of interior assent to the teaching of the Church. In particular, he would not state that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and he added a section which calls into question the definitive and unchanging nature of Catholic doctrine in this area."
Since only what is true is really pastoral, any ministry within the Roman Catholic Church, no matter how well intentioned and needed, which is not based on the truth about the dignity of the human person is ultimately neither pastoral nor compassionate. What has to be avoided in all pastoral care is the placing of individuals in separate moral, social and ecclesial categories apart from everyone else.
Like the other members of the Church, the homosexual individual is called to holiness using the traditional means of sanctification available to all: prayer, self-denial, self-control, spiritual guidance and reception of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance-Reconciliation. - Yours, etc.,
Rev Peter O'Callaghan, Inch, Killeagh, Co Cork.