14
COMMENTARY
October 10, 2017 | The Valley Catholic
Building a Bridge between the Catholic Church
and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community
and lent credence to the distortions of his critics.
By Gerald D. Coleman, P.S.S.
In Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to
Same-Sex Attraction (2015), one author states that
Adjunct professor, Graduate Department of
“homosexuality is one of the sins that put the nails
Pastoral Ministries, Santa Clara University
in Jesus’ hand and feet.” If this is accurate, it is easy
to see why critics believe Martin’s and the Church’s
James Martin is a Jesuit priest, a distinguished
call for respect, compassion and sensitivity for ho-
author, and editor-at-large for the Jesuit magazine
mosexual persons is perverse.
America. He recently published a serious book, fully
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes
in line with Catholic teaching, Building A Bridge:
Catholic teaching on homosexuality: its genesis “re-
How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community
mains largely unexplained,” “homosexual acts are
Can Enter Into A Relationship of Respect, Compassion
intrinsically disordered… Under no circumstances
and Sensitivity.
can they be approved,” “the number of men and
Vicious attacks have been made not only about
women who have deep-seated homosexual tenden-
the book, but Martin himself. His professional and
cies is not negligible,” “this inclination is objectively
priestly reputation are called into question by ad
disordered,” “homosexual persons “must be accept-
hominem attacks which name him “the pro-sodomite
ed with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” and
priest” and a “homosexualist,” a term exhumed
“homosexual persons are called to chastity… They
from the past to cast a pejorative net over a balanced
can and should gradually and resolutely approach
understanding of homosexuality.
Christian perfection.” (nos. 2357-2358)
Critics call him “eff eminate, a heretic, and pansi-
Martin never calls into question these teachings.
fi ed,” some dubbing him as “Father Snowfl ake,” a
If he had, he would not have received approval for
“perfi dious priest” who is “guilty of leading young
the book by his Jesuit superiors or the Bishops who
men to perdition.” Recent campaigns against him
endorsed it.
have prompted high-profi le Catholic groups to disin-
Martin’s book takes as its guide the words of Pope
vite him from speaking engagements. The New York
Francis in Amoris Laetitia: “We would like before
Times observed that his book has “unleashed a tor-
all else to reaffi rm that every person, regardless of
rent of hatred.” Catholic organizations that dropped
sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her
Martin CCH153_CarDonateAd2_4.937x6in_PressQuality.pdf
as a speaker have unfortunately endorsed
dignity.”
1
8/10/15
7:41 PM (no. 250) Martin importantly affi rms that
supporting homosexual persons is not and should
not be a “tacit agreement with everything that any-
one in the LGBT community says or does.” It seems
that Martin’s critics believe that his call to accom-
pany members of the LGBT community amounts to
outright approval of acts which the church teaches
are intrinsically disordered. A thoughtful reading of
his book shows he is not supporting such an agenda.
Donald Cozzens met similar disparaging re-
sponses to his book The Changing Face of the Priest-
hood (2000). He suggested that there were a number
of very fi ne celibate priests who were gay. Martin
makes similar references, e.g., another gift to the
church are “celibate priests and brothers who are
gay.” They should be “accepted as beloved children
of God.” This assertion raises red fl ags, suggesting
that the priesthood is composed predominately by
homosexual men. This false perception accounts for
some of the malicious attacks against Martin and
his book.
Sadly, critics never mention the second half of
Martin’s book where he off ers helpful biblical pas-
sages for refl ection and meditation, and a beautiful
prayer for persons who feel rejected.
Martin writes nothing in his book that is contrary
to church teaching. The book is a pastoral call to
compassion and a challenge to build mutual under-
standing among the church’s pastors, faithful, and
LGBT community.
Standing Together
By Gregory Kepferle
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