COLOGNE, August 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Since the elevation of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy, homosexual groups with the generous assistance of mainstream media, have been clamouring for the Pope to “relax restrictions” on homosexual behavior in Catholic discipline. In the latest bid for Church acceptance of homosexual deviancy, a number of gay activist groups have called for the Pope to announce at World Youth Day his acceptance of sexual immorality into the canon of Catholic moral teaching.
The groups, Germany’s Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) and the Cologne Lesbian and Gay Day (KLuST), issued a statement to an eager press corps on Monday giving their demands for “dialogue” with the Pope. “Our goal is to ensure that people whose sexual orientation has been given by God are morally supported by the Catholic Church.”
Ironically the Pope and the Catholic Church already do “morally support” everyone who suffers from sexual temptations of any kind, calling for all people to live chaste lives in any situation either married or single. In recent times, the Church has expressed its deep compassion for those who suffer from homosexual difficulties and groups such as Courage have been formed in which people can seek help to live according to the natural and moral law.
Media and dissident and anti-Catholic organizations seem unable or unwilling to understand, however, that the Catholic Church does not claim to have “policies,” in the same manner as a political party or advocacy group, but understands itself to be teaching truths as uncompromising as physical laws. As this Pope and his predecessor have both tried to explain, neither the Pope nor the Catholic Church is capable of changing the Church’s unfashionable teaching on sexual morality any more than a physics professor is capable of repealing gravity should up and down become unfashionable.
Confusion over the nature of the Catholic teaching is perhaps understandable, since large portions of those still claiming to be Catholic, including Cardinals, bishops and highly placed laymen, use their positions to undermine Catholic teaching on sexual issues.
In one German newspaper, World Youth Day secretary general Heiner Koch is quoted as saying that the Church needs to establish a ‘better relationship’ with the advocates of homosexual activity who clamour for change. “We need dialogue,” he said Tuesday, “I wish for a relaxation in the relationship.” Some would say that is the same as calling for “a relaxation in the relationship” with God and his clearly given commandments against sexual immorality.
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