In a chapter on The Challenge of Chastity, Cardinal Biffi writes:
"The exclusion of the Creator leads to the complete derailment of reason:
"'They became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools’ (Romans 1:21-22).
"As a result of this intellectual blindness, both theory and behavior have fallen into complete dissoluteness:
"‘Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies’ (Romans 1:24)
"And in order to prevent any misunderstanding or any convenient interpretation, the Apostle continues with a striking analysis, formulated in perfectly explicit terms:
"'Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper’ (Romans 1:26-28).
“In fact, Saint Paul is careful to observe that extreme abjection occurs when ***‘they not only do them but give approval ***to those who practice them’ (Romans 1:32).”
The Cardinal acknowledges the modern day pressures on Christians to remain silent on the subject; however, he notes that these quotes are “a page of the inspired Book that no human authority can force us to censor.”
