Gay CDF Priest ‘Comes Out,’ Declares Church Must Change
"We demand
from the pope revise the catechism ... regarding homosexual persons"
ROME, October 3,
2015 (ChurchMilitant.com)
- A Polish priest working at the
Congregration
for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has admitted his homosexuality and issued a
manifesto demanding changes to Church teaching.
The priest,
Msgr. Krzysztof Charamsa, is a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian
University and has been on the Vatican's International Theological Commission
since 2009.
In a video
released yesterday by the Polish LGBT activist group Artykuł
osiemnasty, Msgr. Charamsa declares his homosexuality and admits to
having a boyfriend.
Also released
along with the video was a 10-point manifesto of demands.
1. Disposal of homophobia and anti-gay discrimination
We demand that the Catholic Church divest itself of activities, the
mentality and language of homophobia, hate speech, humiliation and
depreciating, marginalization, stigmatization and rejection of LGBT people. We
demand the cessation of the Church of discrimination and soft persecution of
these people so within it as well as beyond its borders.
2.
Condemnation of punishment for homosexuality
We demand that
the Church unequivocally speak out against punishment for sexual orientation
and against the death penalty or imprisonment, against any acts of cruelty
against any discrimination against people based on sexual orientation, as well
as against attempts to undergo "reorganizational therapies" of
persons belonging to sexual minorities.
3.
Cessation of the Church's interference in guaranteeing human rights by
democratic states
We demand that
the Church revise its past behavior to states and nations which, through the
democratic development of civilizations, seek to guarantee human rights,
including the right of persons belonging to sexual minoritiesto love and
to civil marriage. Civilized countries should respect their autonomy for the
sake of the common good of all, not just Catholics.
4.
Canceling incompetent and prejudicial documents
We demand the
Pope revise the Catechism and repeal all the cruel documents that are
incompetent to deal with the issue of homosexual persons, who are the object
both of the Church's compassion and stigmatization — in particular, the
documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the heir to the
Holy Inquisition. Unacceptable documents include:
a) the
declaration Persona Humana from 1975, discussing among other things the
"pathological constitution" of homosexual persons, which by their
nature supposedly "have difficulty adjusting socially" and carry an
"disorder" that "without the necessary and significant
adjustment" is considered a "depravity";
b) Letter on
the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons of 1986, which calls for
"compassion" for homosexuals, who "suffer" from same-sex
attraction, and which accepts the existence of "fair discrimination"
against homosexuals and rejects only "unjust discrimination" against
them;
c) the
outrageous Considerations Concerning the Response to Legislative Proposals
on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons in 1992;
d) Considerations
Regarding Proposals to Legalize Unions Between Homosexual Persons from
2003, according to which homosexuality is "devoid of any genuine affective
maturity," and homosexual relationships are devoid of any "human and
ordered form of sexual relations";
e) the Catechism
of the Church Catholic, sections 2357–2359, teaches that not only same-sex
acts but also homosexual orientation are "objectively disordered." It
also emphasizes that by nature, homosexuals have no emotional complementarity
with other human persons they love. And it adds that for most of us orientation
is a difficult experience requiring compassion toward our neighbor, but not
without avoiding just discrimination. How does the Church know what is our
suffering and difficulty? Well, it is not sexual orientation, but homophobia
from the Church. Learning via the Catechism is offensive, apart from the fact
that the very definition of homosexuality is deficient, if not quite false. The
analysis of the situation of homosexual persons is also deficient.
5.
Immediate cancellation of discriminatory instructions about denying the
priesthood to homosexual persons
We demand that
the Pope immediately abolish regrettable instructions about refusing the
ordination of homosexuals, endorsed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
6. Initiate
a serious interdisciplinary scientific reflection over the morality of
human sexuality
We demand that
the Church initiate a serious and objective scientific reflection on sexual
morality, taking note of the development — which so far the Church has only
viewed ideologically — of science and reproductive health services, medical,
psychological, psychiatric, biological, sociological, anthropological, Gender
studies, etc.
7.
Revision of the interpretation of biblical texts on homosexuality
We demand that
the Church treat seriously the question of its own interpretation of the Bible,
freeing itself of fundamentalism, noting verses that talk about homosexual
people, never condemning them, and contextualizing biblical texts that address
homogenital acts.
8.
Adoption of ecumenical dialogue with our Lutheran and Anglican brothers about
homosexuality
We demand that
the Church take seriously ecumenical dialogue on the issue of homosexuality
with Christians, Protestants and Anglicans who, in an open and transparent
process of maturation, have developed their own beliefs on this subject, which
may help the Catholic Church understand the reality of it.
9. The
need to ask for forgiveness toward homosexuals
We demand that
the Church stop persecution and crimes against homosexuals and to cease
committing similar acts from now on.
10.
Respect for and belief in homosexuals and change in the distorted position of
the Church on what a homosexual Christian life should look like
We demand that
the Church finally open itself up to believing in homosexuals, who are baptized
persons belonging to sexual minorities who still do not have the right to
dispose themselves in total love and resignation to a healthy sex life, which
expresses their nature in accordance with their sexual orientation.
Text
of "Gazeta Wyborcza" received from Fr. Christopher Charamsy via Vox Cantoris. Translation slightly edited for clarity.
Interview
Transcript:
My name is
Krzysztof Charamsa. Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa. I am a member of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ... the second secretary of the
International Theological Commission. I'm a theologian, philosopher; I lecture
in bioethics at the Pontifical Gregorian University. ... I am gay. ... I
love our country, our fatherland, I am a patriot. ... when in parliament, in my
fatherland, someone can put down a homosexual person with impunity, with
impunity! And he does not turn off the microphone!
If someone can travel around, as does Fr. [Dariusz] Oko in my country with his theater of the absurd, demagoguery, ideologies, and do so with impunity!
When someone becomes the president of this country, and can be allowed with impunity to make insinuations about improper attire of my social group, and the next day not apologize for his words —with impunity!
When the former president for five years, didn't meet with homosexual families, not even for half an hour, to look them in the eye. With impunity ignore them! Those for whom they were established to serve.
The Church is silent, hideously silent, and when Dominic from Bierzun takes his own life, because he can't endure homophobia, the hate ... Then the Church is then silent, and legally, leaves everything before some prosecutor. When the Church should be a moral authority, She is then silent. That means we have struck a growing crisis, hypocrisy, falsehood, insensitivity. Where is our Gospel?
If someone can travel around, as does Fr. [Dariusz] Oko in my country with his theater of the absurd, demagoguery, ideologies, and do so with impunity!
When someone becomes the president of this country, and can be allowed with impunity to make insinuations about improper attire of my social group, and the next day not apologize for his words —with impunity!
When the former president for five years, didn't meet with homosexual families, not even for half an hour, to look them in the eye. With impunity ignore them! Those for whom they were established to serve.
The Church is silent, hideously silent, and when Dominic from Bierzun takes his own life, because he can't endure homophobia, the hate ... Then the Church is then silent, and legally, leaves everything before some prosecutor. When the Church should be a moral authority, She is then silent. That means we have struck a growing crisis, hypocrisy, falsehood, insensitivity. Where is our Gospel?
(Transcript
courtesy of Toronto Catholic Witness)
PAT SAYS:
This is a blow for the Vatican.
First of all one of their own monsignors outs himself as gay as having a partner.
Secondly he does it on the day before the Vatican SYNOD ON THE FAMILY begins during which there will be discussions about making gay people feel more part of the church.
Fair play to him. Obviously he can now forget about being a cardinal, papal nuncio, archbishop or bishop.
Obviously truth means more to him than "career".
Of course most priests - and bishops - are secretly gay.
PAT SAYS:
This is a blow for the Vatican.
First of all one of their own monsignors outs himself as gay as having a partner.
Secondly he does it on the day before the Vatican SYNOD ON THE FAMILY begins during which there will be discussions about making gay people feel more part of the church.
Fair play to him. Obviously he can now forget about being a cardinal, papal nuncio, archbishop or bishop.
Obviously truth means more to him than "career".
Of course most priests - and bishops - are secretly gay.
Hi Pat, Well done Monsignor. Thank God someone nearer the centre of the church has had the courage to come out and hopefully will now shine a spotlight on the terrible nonsense at the heart of the Roman church,namely that a considerable number of those who impliment and enforce the ban on known homosexuals entering priesthood are themselves homosexual. Many of them in relationships. Stinking hypocrits the lot of them ! Go for it Monsignor ! Pat you must know at least 7 bishops who are gay and 4 of them are either in or were in relationships. Such hypocrites
ReplyDeleteI don't support this gay priest's announcement. It is a vain & deeply cynical & self-absorbed thing to do especially given the upcoming Synod. This priest needs to pray & reflect upon what he has done & seek forgiveness. Peace.
DeleteDon't want your kind of peace. It seems to be the kind which ignores the obvious, buries its head in sand, clings to outdated out of touch moralistic beliefs of the absolutist RC variety with no understanding of the huge variations in how humans express genuine love.
DeleteMourne Man Michael
You appear to be very much of a minority opinion sir. ( I'm assuming it's indeed a sir.)
DeleteMoreover indeed I suspect you to be one of those tired old RC clerics still tied to the secure/reassuring apron strings of Thomistic absolutism on all things considered moral (or otherwise).
Would you ever get a life outside views and understanding based on the limited perspectives of your formative training years of ????...40+ years ago. The world is moving on leaving those stuck in the past to languish.
MMM
Greetings, MMM. Hope all is well in exotic Attical. Regardless of whether I hold a minority opinion, the truth is still the truth no matter how uncool it may be.
Delete& no, I'm not a priest.
I wish you peace nonetheless.
I believe the Monsignor is identifying a major issue for the Church; namely hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteOver many years as a Diocesan Priest I have become aware of the numerous situations past & present where Priestly celibacy is not being observed. Many of these clandestine relationships involve homosexual clergy.
Bishop Treanor is aware of the majority of these relationships & chooses to condone them by his silence. This pretence has an ever approaching day of reckoning !
There are 2 topics in particular which Bishop Treanor avoids speaking of in public;
Diocesan finances & the crisis of the Priesthood in Down & Connor.
I expect much scandal to be exposed in these 2 areas in the near future.
Priest of Down & Connor Diocese.
https://incaelo.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/in-rome-no-one-was-fired-for-being-gay/
ReplyDeleteGood Lad! I always suspected there was more to the vatican than the swish (not sway) of robes and expensive man perfumes.
ReplyDeleteDiocesean finances. ??? Can someone enlighten me please
ReplyDeleteIts been quiet on here! (fek the catechism change practice and attitudes first) Im off to Knock Ill ask Mary to have a word with the young fella!
ReplyDelete