Meanwhile, in an alternative universe...

A quick (and sad) little quiz:

The following public remarks were recently made by a Catholic: "First and foremost, [the Church] doesn't say anything in particular about homosexuality, per se. It does say that we are created in God's image, male and female created in God's image ... Homosexuality is not condemned [by the Church] in any way, shape or form..." (ht: Cardinal Newman Society).

Who said it?

a. A priest
b. A director of University Ministry at a Catholic university
c. A Jesuit

Ding, ding, ding! Any and all of those answers are correct.

Another quiz: what religious body/group has stated the following in official documents:

a. "Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.'"
b. "[Homosexual acts] are contrary to the natural law. ... Under no circumstances can they be approved."
c. "[D]eep-seated homosexual tendencies [are] objectively disordered..."

Yes, that's correct: the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Now, perhaps the priest was misquoted. Perhaps he meant to say, as the Catechism does, that those who have homosexual tendencies "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."

And perhaps he, in making light of the USCCB document, "Always Our Children", wishes to ignore that the document states, "Although the gift of human sexuality can be a great mystery at times, the Church's teaching on homosexuality is clear." Which would likely account for him saying (in the words of the reporter), "that certain perceptions of homosexuality in the Catholic Church do exist"—as if "Church teaching" is nothing more a "certain perception".

But, hey, I don't live and work in the alternative universe that exists in many Catholic universities, so I can't say for certain...

UPDATE: A student responds to the misleading remarks of the priest/director of ministry/Jesuit.

Related:

• Is Gonzaga still a Jesuit, Catholic university? | Dr. Eric Cunningham

Comments

[Louis Cunningham]

As a GU student, this was published in the Gonzaga Bulletin a week later:
http://www.gonzagabulletin.com/homosexuality-and-catholicism-article-misleads-1.2186244

There is resistance, but Veritas vos liberabit.

[Tantumblogo]

I think the good Fr. Hightower chose his words very carefully. He mentioned the 'American Catholic Church,' as if that is some kind of separate construct, distinct from the universal church and having its own doctrines and canon. I don't think that was just a liberal priest accidentally revealing his bias, I believe it was a heterodox priest revealing that he feels there is a separate institution in the process of creation in this country that will call itself 'catholic' but will have little in common with the universal Church. I may be making too much of this, but I think this ties in with many other disparate data points that have been accumulating over the last several years.

[Sharon]

He mentioned the 'American Catholic Church,' as if that is some kind of separate construct, distinct from the universal church

Robert Blair Kaiser, an ex Jesuit seminarian before Vatican II, has been banging this drum for about 40 years. People calling themselves Catholic have been advancing this in Australia also.