OK to be gay ... and Catholic??

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1way

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Not sure if this is a traditional question or a political/social one.

I know two women who have been openly living in a lesbian relationship for years.
In fact they met while they were both in the convent. They left the sisterhood and have lived together ever since … 40 years. They were school teachers, retired now, that have been an active part of the community all their lives.
My question: Can they still be considered Catholic? Can they receive Communion?
What is the Church’s position toward active gay/lebian people who attend the Catholic Church?
 
One can not openly or secretly for that matter, live such a life and present themselves for Communion…not only would that be a sacriligeous Communion, that would give scandal to others as well. Now, they could recognize their lives are a scandal and not in accordance with God’s teachings…go to Confession and refuse to live that lifestyle anymore and then receive Communion…It is not a sin to be attracted to the same sex, it is a sin to carry out that attraction into a physical relationship. Just as it is a sin for a man and woman to commit marital acts outside of marriage…we must hate the sin, but love the sinner.
1way said:
Not sure if this is a traditional question or a political/social one.

I know two women who have been openly living in a lesbian relationship for years.
In fact they met while they were both in the convent. They left the sisterhood and have lived together ever since … 40 years. They were school teachers, retired now, that have been an active part of the community all their lives.
My question: Can they still be considered Catholic? Can they receive Communion?
What is the Church’s position toward active gay/lebian people who attend the Catholic Church?
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It is NOT ok to practice gay sex, and go to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, communion.
And yes gays who are celibate can be practicing Catholics. And anyone can attend a Catholic mass, however only those who are in the “state of grace” can go to communion.
Catholics do not hate gays.Not at all.
 
bnj003 said:
It is NOT ok to practice gay sex, and go to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, communion.
And yes gays who are celibate can be practicing Catholics. And anyone can attend a Catholic mass, however only those who are in the “state of grace” can go to communion.
Catholics do not hate gays.Not at all.
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This is exactly the way I explain the Church’s stance on homosexuality. The first time I said this to an openly gay co-worker who said the Catholic Church hates gays, he was simply unable to say anything in response. It was like everything he ever thought about Catholics went up in smoke.

Now we can have civil discussions about this topic. He can go to Mass if he is celibate.

credo
 
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credo:
He can go to Mass if he is celibate.
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He can go to Mass whether or not he is celibate.
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1way:
I know two women who have been openly living in a lesbian relationship for years.
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You know they are living together, that’s ALL you know, right?
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1way:
My question: Can they still be considered Catholic?
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I am kind of tired of people who when they find Catholic sinners (like we ALL are) ask if the offenders are even Catholic any more. Or even better, they say they are “Catholic” in quotes. (Read that not Catholic the way I think they should be.)

Matthew 7:1

Further, unless they formally defected from the Catholic Church they are still, and always Catholic.

John
 
lil_flower_luv said:
It means we should pray for them…not hate them.
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Pray for them. and love them. To love doesn’t mean we feel good about them, but that we will their good.

Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.
 
Both the catechism and Holy Scripture label homosexuality as grave depravity and homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. So, aside from chastity, which we are all called to do according to our ministries and states of life, one should work toward being freed from its bondage through prayer, sacramental grace, and penance, as opposed to being content with the orientation.

The same sort of “gravely disordered” language is used in the catechism for masturbation and we should employ the same methods if bonded by that vice.
 
John_Higgins said:
Further, unless they formally defected from the Catholic Church they are still, and always Catholic.

John
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I disagree. When I see statistics that say that 40% of Catholics don’t go to Mass on Sunday, I say that they are not Catholic, regardless of their Baptism. Non-practicing Catholic is an oxymoron. You either believe in the laws of the church or you don’t. If you don’t, you are some sort of protestant.
 
Unless I am missing something, isn’t there a difference between two women living together without having a sexual relationship and two women living together who do have a sexual relationship. We can’t label someone else “lesbian” unless they disclose that info.
Sarah
 
I believe that gays can be catholic as long as they don’t practice homosexual acts. Obviously there’s nothing a man or woman can do if they are gay, but performing these acts is where it becomes wrong. One of God’s plans for us was to procreate, to reproduce, and populate the Earth. Being a homosexual, and knowing that performing these acts will not lead to a child birth is extremely wrong and goes against what God says.
 
Sarah44 said:
Unless I am missing something, isn’t there a difference between two women living together without having a sexual relationship and two women living together who do have a sexual relationship. We can’t label someone else “lesbian” unless they disclose that info.
Sarah
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The catechism says that the “…[homosexual] inclination … is objectively disordered …”. So, while the celibacy is certainly commendable, I would argue that fostering the inclination by co-habitating with someone that is the object of your homosexual attraction is still a problem. I counters your confessional promise to avoid the near occasion of sin
 
giuseppeTO said:
Both the catechism and Holy Scripture label homosexuality as grave depravity and homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. So, aside from chastity, which we are all called to do according to our ministries and states of life, one should work toward being freed from its bondage through prayer, sacramental grace, and penance, as opposed to being content with the orientation.

The same sort of “gravely disordered” language is used in the catechism for masturbation and we should employ the same methods if bonded by that vice.
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The Scriptures actually say nothing concerning a homosexual orientation, since the concept of orientation, as we understand it today, was foreign to the sacred authors. What the Scriptures do present are admonitions against certain same-sex activities.

I would have to disagree with you about being content with ones sexuality. I struggled for many years not being content with it and it only hindered my relationship with the Lord and made living as a good Catholic much more difficult. Today, I am at peace with this part of who I am and feel no shame whatsoever in being gay. This does not mean that I act out my inclinations, but niether do I seek to change myself or find freedom from some sort of “bondage”. Prayer, and grace from the sacraments give me the strength to live the Christian life and grow in sanctity. As far as I am concerned, my sexual orientation is of little importance. God bless!
 
bnj003 said:
It is NOT ok to practice gay sex, and go to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, communion.
And yes gays who are celibate can be practicing Catholics. And anyone can attend a Catholic mass, however only those who are in the “state of grace” can go to communion.
Catholics do not hate gays.Not at all.
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Just to keep the record straight (no pun intended), everyone, married or not, is required to be chaste.
 
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giuseppeTO:
I disagree.
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Disagree all you want. That’s what Canon Law says.
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giuseppeTO:
When I see statistics that say that 40% of Catholics don’t go to Mass on Sunday, I say that they are not Catholic, regardless of their Baptism.
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That’s not what the Church says.
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giuseppeTO:
You either believe in the laws of the church or you don’t.
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Apparently you don’t. Canon Law is not good enough for you?
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giuseppeTO:
If you don’t, you are some sort of protestant.
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Careful who you paint with that brush. I guess “you are some sort of protestant” (your words) too.

John
 
giuseppeTO said:
I disagree. When I see statistics that say that 40% of Catholics don’t go to Mass on Sunday, I say that they are not Catholic, regardless of their Baptism. Non-practicing Catholic is an oxymoron. You either believe in the laws of the church or you don’t. If you don’t, you are some sort of protestant.
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That doesn’t make sense. You can not be “not a Catholic” due to sin, go to Confession, and walk out a Catholic again.

You are a Catholic by virtue of your baptism.
 
giuseppeTO said:
The catechism says that the “…[homosexual] inclination … is objectively disordered …”. So, while the celibacy is certainly commendable, I would argue that fostering the inclination by co-habitating with someone that is the object of your homosexual attraction is still a problem. I counters your confessional promise to avoid the near occasion of sin
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Indeed, if the co-habitating is an occasion of sin. It’s not so in every case. I am friends with a gay couple who have been together for 14 years, live together in the same house, but sleep in separate beds. One of them is Catholic and the other is not. The non-Catholic partner was charitable enough to tell my friend that if his faith required him to be celibate, that would be fine and he would have no problem with it. There’s a lot more to loving another person than sex.
 
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