Globe
Story Distorts Archbishop O'Malley's Instructions to Catholics on Gay
Marriage
Archbishop O'Malley gave
instructions to Catholics against homosexuality a few weeks ago but you'd
never know it if you read the Globe. Their headline was: O'Malley Calls
on Catholics to Stop Bias Against Gays." (They published their article
the day after his letter on Nov. 24. and is reprinted below)
What the Archbishop actually
said was that homosexuals often tell their families: "If you do not
accept my behavior, you do not love me." But the prelate taught that
Catholics "must communicate the exact opposite," which is that,
"Because we love you, we cannot accept your behavior."
The reason that the Globe
story became slanted happened because they sent a reporter to interview
the Archbishop and put a spin on his letter of Nov. 23. The reporter Charles
Radin appeared to attempt a balanced story, even quoting
a traditional Catholic intellectual that the letter was "a
clear and very pastoral statement fully in accord with the church's teaching.
It has become fashionable to disparage the old axiom `hate the sin, love
the sinner,' but in fact that surely is the truth."
The item that made
the Globe story worth their effort, in their minds, was a quote from the
Council of Parishes, a Boston-area parishioners' group. Reporter
Radin was undoubtedly instructed by his editor to include a message from
them.
They told reporter Radin: "One can hear in these words the
thoughts of a very decent, pastoral man who is bracing himself to be the
instrument of a policy that he may not wholeheartedly endorse," However,
there is nothing in the letter to indicate that the Archbishop did not
agree with what he wrote.
The Globe story continued: "The cochairman said he felt O'Malley
was 'preparing the ground as best he can, in a decent way' for what is
expected to be a major controversy next week over the formal release of
the Vatican document on gays in the priesthood, and the church-supported
campaign in Massachusetts to let voters decide whether to ban same-sex
marriage in a referendum vote."
It should also be noted that reporters at the Globe do not write
their own headlines. The one which appeared over reporter Radin's article,
"O'Malley Calls on Catholics to Stop Bias Against Gays"
was written by Globe management, not by Radin.
Full Text of
Bishop O'Malley's Letter
November 23, 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Church’s efforts
to defend the institution of marriage has been interpreted by
some as an indication of the Church’s hostility toward homosexual
persons. The way that the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
framed the issue is unfavorable to Catholics or others who do
not oppose anyone, but rather support an institution which is
the cornerstone of society.
Right from the beginning
of this controversy I have called on all Catholics to rally behind
the cause of marriage. It is encouraging that a number of Catholics
who are homosexuals have expressed to me their conviction that
marriage between a man and a woman is important for children and
therefore for society.
The Church’s position
is not based on an animus against people with a homosexual orientation.
Each and every member of the Church is called to holiness regardless
of their sexual orientation. The Church has often warned against
defining people by their sexual orientation in a way that diminishes
their humanity. Each person is a mystery, an irreplaceable treasure,
precious in God’s eye. We are God’s creatures and in baptism we
are His sons and daughters, brothers and sisters to one another.
The extreme individualism
of our age is undermining the common good and fractionalizing
the community. The Church wishes to call people to unity based
on mutual respect and a commitment to the common good. We do not
want Catholics who have a homosexual orientation to feel unwelcomed
in the Catholic Church. We remind them that they are bound to
us by their baptism and are called to live a life of holiness.
Many homosexual persons in our Church lead holy lives and make
an outstanding contribution to the life of the Church by their
service, generosity and the sharing of their spiritual gifts.
We must strive to
eradicate prejudices against people with a homosexual orientation.
At the same time the Church must minister to all people by challenging
them to obey God’s commands, the roadmap for a meaningful human
life that allows us to draw near to God and to one another.
In the Gospel when
the self-righteous Pharisees bring the adulteress to be stoned,
Jesus says let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Then
to make sure they got the point Jesus wrote their sins on the
ground. The stones fell from their hands and they fled. Jesus
said: “Neither do I condemn you”, but He added, “Go and sin no
more.”
If we tell people
that sex outside of marriage is not a sin, we are deceiving people.
If they believe this untruth, a life of virtue becomes all but
impossible. Jesus teaches that discipleship implies taking up
the cross each day and following Him with love and courage.
It is never easy to
deliver a message that calls people to make sacrifices or to do
difficult things. Sometimes people want to punish the messenger.
For this reason we priests at times find it difficult to articulate
the Church’s teaching on sexual morality. We must never deliver
the message in a self-righteous way, but rather with compassion
and humility. It is important to express the moral teachings of
the Church with clarity and fidelity. The Church must be Church.
We must teach the truths of the Gospel in season and out of season.
These recent times seem to us like it is “out of season”, but
for that very reason it is even more urgent to teach the hard
words of the Gospel today.
We know that friends
and relatives of homosexual Catholics sometimes feel torn between
their allegiance to Christ and their concern for their loved ones.
I assure them that these goals are not incompatible. As Catholics
we profess a firm belief in the dignity of each person and in
the eternal destiny to which God calls us. Calling people to embrace
the cross of discipleship, to live the commandments and at the
same time assuring them that we love them as brothers and sisters
can be difficult. Sometimes we are told: “If you do not accept
my behavior, you do not love me. ”In reality we must communicate
the exact opposite: “Because we love you, we cannot accept your
behavior.”
God made us to be
happy forever. That true and lasting happiness is accessible only
by a path of conversion. Each of us has our own struggles in responding
to the call to discipleship and holiness. We are not alone. Christ
promised to be with us and has given us His Church and Sacraments
to help us on the road.
At every Mass we pray
that beautiful prayer before the sign of peace: “Lord…look not
on our sins, but on the faith of your Church and grant us the
peace and unity of your kingdom." May God grant us that grace
of peace and unity.
Devotedly yours in
Christ,
Seán P. O'Malley
Archbishop of Boston |
Printed Below is Actual
Globe Article Commenting on Above Letter
O'MALLEY CALLS ON CATHOLICS
TO STOP BIAS AGAINST GAYS
Author(s): Charles A. Radin, Globe Staff Date:
November 24, 2005 Page: A45 Section: National/Foreign
Archbishop
Sean P. O'Malley, reaching out to gays and lesbians just days before
the Vatican is expected to issue a strongly worded ban on gays in the
priesthood, yesterday called on Catholics to wipe out prejudice against
homosexuals.
O'Malley
said in an interview yesterday that his decision to write the letter
was not prompted by the Vatican document, expected to be released Tuesday,
that bans gays from entering Catholic seminaries. He said he was prompted
to write by the debate over same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, and
to explain the church's support for a referendum that would make such
marriages illegal. "There are many homosexuals out there who want
to be faithful members of the church," O'Malley said. "I don't
want them to feel the church is bigoted or that we want to discriminate
against anyone. . . . The stand on marriage is in defense of an institution
we feel is crucial for children, family life, and society."
In
his letter, which was sent yesterday to the nearly 300 parishes in the
Archdiocese of Boston, O'Malley said: "Many homosexual persons
in our church lead holy lives and make an outstanding contribution to
the life of the church by their service, generosity and the sharing
of their spiritual gifts. We must strive to eradicate prejudices against
people with a homosexual orientation."
At
the same time, he stoutly defended church teachings on sexuality. "If
we tell people that sex outside of marriage is not a sin, we are deceiving
people," O'Malley wrote. "If they believe this untruth, a
life of virtue becomes all but impossible.
"Sometimes
we are told: `If you do not accept my behavior, you do not love me,'
" he continued. "In reality we must communicate the exact
opposite: `Because we love you we cannot accept your behavior.' "
Peter
Borre, cochairman of the Council of Parishes, a Boston-area parishioners'
group, said he felt O'Malley was "preparing the ground as best
he can, in a decent way" for what is expected to be a major controversy
next week over the formal release of the Vatican document on gays in
the priesthood, and the church-supported campaign in Massachusetts to
let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in a referendum vote.
"One
can hear in these words the thoughts of a very decent, pastoral man
who is bracing himself to be the instrument of a policy that he may
not wholeheartedly endorse," he said.
The
Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, editor in chief of the traditionalist Catholic
magazine First Things, said the letter was "a clear and very pastoral
statement fully in accord with the church's teaching. It has become
fashionable to disparage the old axiom `hate the sin, love the sinner,'
but in fact that surely is the truth."
Charles
A. Radin can be reached at radin@globe.com.
