# Catholic bishop says it's OK for priests to be homosexual...since when? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 12, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649 "2001-01-12T04:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/1 "2001-01-12T04:51:39Z")
On 5 January 20/20 ran [this story](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020Friday_010105_priestswaids_feature.html) about Catholic priests and AIDS. While I was familiar with most of the material presented, I was somewhat surprised by the comments made by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit. Bishop Gumbleton implied that the Catholic church accepted the priesthood of celibate homosexuals. Two questions. Firstly, is this the official position of the Catholic church? (Gumbleton was described in the program as a “liberal theologian,” which in my experience usually means “someone who doesn’t agree with the mainstream but isn’t far enough off-beam for the authorities to silence.”) Secondly, if it is offical policy, how long has it been so? I can’t imagine that it has been changed in the recent past, as I would be surprised if the typically conservative current pope would have done so. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/2 "2001-01-12T04:56:56Z")
Technically, being a homosexual is not a sin, just acting on those urges. A celibate priest’s sexual orientation does not matter. ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/3 "2001-01-12T06:21:33Z")
The Church has always believed that you love the sinner even if you hate the sin. I think this is a great example of the true Church. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/4 "2001-01-12T15:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JamesCarroll \* > \*\*The Church has always believed that you love the sinner even if you hate the sin. I think this is a great example of the true Church. \*\* Well I’m not sure what this has to do with the OP. As Badtz Maru pointed out, RCC teaching does NOT consider homosexual orientation to be a sin. Whether one agrees or not with church teaching on this “issue”, I don’t think that what Gumbleton said cold be construed as controversial with respect to RCC teaching. From an RCC point of view, there is no sin involved…so nothing to “hate” here… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/5 "2001-01-12T17:55:07Z")
The Catholic church accepts that those who have taken a vow of celibacy may yet have sexual urges. As long as they do not act on those urges, there is no breaking of the vow. Heterosexual vs. homesexual is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![pinqy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a3d4f5/32.png) [@pinqy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinqy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catholic-bishop-says-its-ok-for-priests-to-be-homosexual-since-when/49649/6 "2001-01-13T05:29:20Z")
Everyone else has pretty much covered it, but I figured it would be helpful to post what the [Catechism](http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/sixth.html#CHASTITY) has to say: > [@](#): > > Chastity and homosexuality > > 2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,[140] tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.”[141] They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances > can they be approved. > > 2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They 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. > > 2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. And to point out some fairness, this section comes after it says that “_All the baptized are called to chastity._” Lust, masturbation, pornography, sex outside of marriage, prostitution and rape are all spoken against first (although more briefly). So, the position seems to be that sex with your spouse is good and wonderful; sex with anyone else, including yourself, or even thinking about sex with anyone else, is bad. pinqy