Same-sex unions

The Vatican’s recent document on same-sex unions has caused much hurt in the gay and lesbian community. The most respected Catholic journal in the world, The Tablet, has featured a number of letters, in favour and against the document. I want to share two letters here to demonstrate the hurt caused.

The first is from John: “I am an old man now, but, when I was young, I was privileged to have lived with my partner for 18 years, in a deep and loving relationship, until he died inhis mid-40s. I nursed him through his illness, was with him when he died, and was the chief mourner at his funeral. My eulogy for him was as David’s was for Jonathan, and his his epitaph, ‘Reject not the work of Your hands.’ I was devastated, but could share my grief with no one as, in the eyes of the law as it then was, we were criminals, and now, in the intemperate language of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, our love was evil. In no way can I accept this for the blessing of the love which we shared.

The second is from Michael: “I have followed the furore surrounding the recent Vatican document on homosexuality and the election of a gay bishop in the United States with increasing sadness, despair and untold pain. I am a single gay man, baptised and brought up in the Catholic tradition and am now at a crossroads in my life. I am trying to rebuild my relationship with Jesus Christ, but truly do not know where to turn. The Church in which I was raised tells me I am intrinsically disordered and that I am on the verge of actually being evil, and yet for the life of me I cannot remember Jesus ever preaching or teaching such venom and vitriol. If Jesus had wanted it to be a prerequisite for anyone who wish to follow him to be heterosexual, he would have made it plain. He never did so. May I ask all those who are reading this and following the debate on both sides to please pray for me that I may find my way back to Him, despite all the many good people who seem to be barring my way.”

So, there we are – two wonderful creations of God made to feel evil by this Church that I love, this Church that is supposed to represent welcome and acceptance. The Vatican will be called to give an account for its cruelty and prejudice by God him/herself!