St. Louis Archdiocese Condemns Gay Marriage, Lectures Everyone but Catholic Church on Sex

By Ray Downs
Riverfront Times
June 30, 2014

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2014/06/st_louis_archdiocese_condemns_gay_marriage_lectures_everyone_but_catholic_church_on_sex.php


The pillars of morality at the St. Louis Archdiocese are not pleased with all this gay-marriage stuff happening in the city.

One day after Mayor Francis Slay granted marriage licenses to four gay couples, the archdiocese released a statement expressing its disappointment over two things church leaders are not exactly famous for knowing much about: getting married and same-sex relationships that consist of consenting adults.

"It is disheartening to see our wonderful city, named after the great Catholic civil leader St. King Louis IX, so eagerly cast aside the laws of our state and disregard the laws of nature," the statement says. "The fact is, the union of two men or the union of two women is not the same as the union of a woman and a man."

That's pretty standard language from a Christian organization condemning gay rights, but the statement gets a little weirder:

"Loving a person does not mean accepting all their behaviors. The Church does not condemn individuals for having same-sex attraction. Persons who struggle with same-sex attraction must be loved with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. At the same time, the Catholic faith teaches that all people are called to responsibility regarding sexuality -- whether they are homosexual or heterosexual, priest or lay person. Part of that responsibility means understanding that sex is to be reserved for marriage, and that marriage between a man and a woman is the only kind of union from which children can come."

Maybe this reporter is reading too much into the statement, but are these words really a subtle explanation for Archbishop Robert Carlson's recent controversy over his statements about "not remembering" when he learned pedophilia was a crime when he was involved in the cover-up of a priest who admitted to molesting children in Minnesota back in the '80s?

See also: Archbishop Robert J. Carlson Can't Remember If He Knew Raping Kids Is a Crime

When the archdiocese says, "Persons who struggle with same-sex attraction must be loved with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," they could be referring to the happy couples who got married and appear to be excelling rather than "struggling." But given the word choice, it seems more appropriate that they would be referring to priests who "struggle" with their attraction to children.

And the idea that those who "struggle" with their sexuality should be dealt with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity" sounds like how the Catholic Church has dealt with priests accused of child molestation: Instead of calling the police, the church simply prays extra hard for the accused priest and -- like Carlson did for a pedophile priest in Minnesota -- send him to a retreat in New Mexico where he get some fresh air, say a few extra Hail Marys and Our Fathers, and then, fully repented and cured of the influence of Satan, go back to work around kids again.

See also: Archbishop Carlson: My "I Can't Remember" Comments Were Just Taken Out of Context

That would explain the next line in the statement: "The Catholic faith teaches that we are defined by something far deeper than sexual orientation: we are defined by our identity as children of God."

The question must be asked: Who is the archdiocese really referring to here?

And what moral legitimacy does a beleaguered organization like the Catholic Church have, anyways?

"The Catholic Church was founded by a perfect God and left in the hands of imperfect people," Gabe Jones, spokesman for the St. Louis Archdiocese, tells Daily RFT. "The actions of a small group of individuals, while reprehensible and sinful, does not change the truth of the teachings of the Church itself. The moral authority of the Church is not derived from men or women, but from God and the natural law which He so wonderfully created."

Read the whole statement in its entirety below:

ST. LOUIS - The Archdiocese of St. Louis is disappointed in the decision by the City of St. Louis to grant civil marriage licenses to four same sex couples on Wednesday night. It is disheartening to see our wonderful city, named after the great Catholic civil leader St. King Louis IX, so eagerly cast aside the laws of our state and disregard the laws of nature. The fact is, the union of two men or the union of two women is not the same as the union of a woman and a man.

Loving a person does not mean accepting all their behaviors. The Church does not condemn individuals for having same-sex attraction. Persons who struggle with same-sex attraction must be loved with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. At the same time, the Catholic faith teaches that all people are called to responsibility regarding sexuality -- whether they are homosexual or heterosexual, priest or lay person. Part of that responsibility means understanding that sex is to be reserved for marriage, and that marriage between a man and a woman is the only kind of union from which children can come.

The Catholic faith teaches that we are defined by something far deeper than sexual orientation: we are defined by our identity as children of God. We agree with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI when he said, 'Every human being is loved by God the Father. No one need feel forgotten, for every name is written in the Lord's loving heart.' We encourage Catholics and all people of faith to pray that our culture will grow in the love of God, and that our actions and laws will respect the laws of nature and its creator.