writing in the dust

As I said, the church’s stance on homosexual activity and its opposition to same-sex marriage are well known. The excerpt from the *Catechism* that underlies these teachings may now be one of the most well known of all church teachings. Line 2357 reads: “Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual activity is intrinsically disordered’.” (The quote within the quote comes from a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.)

I’m not writing to contradict these teachings in any way, nor to contradict any of these church leaders…. Rather, I’d like to turn our attention to *another* part of the church’s official teaching, something equally as valid. It is contained in the very next line, and is an important aspect of our tradition that is often overlooked. Line 2358 of the *Catechism* reads: “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (The original 1994 version included the line “They do not choose their homosexual condition.”)

That line says much that is important, even though it is less well known than the previous line.