The Churchs Teaching on Sexuality

1
The Churchs Teaching on Sexuality

• Ray Campbell
• Queensland Bioethics Centre

2
Context

• Churchs teaching on homosexuality and homosexual
  acts cannot be understood without the context of
  the Churchs teaching on the human person,
  sexuality in general and on marriage in
  particular.

3
Sexuality and the human person

• Genesis 127 human beings are made in the
  image and likeness of God
• Each individual AND male and female in their
  complementariness (see John Paul II)

4
Our common vocation

• Creating the human race in his own image and
  continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in
  the humanity of man and woman the vocation, and
  thus the capacity and responsibility, of love and
  communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and
  innate vocation of every human being.
  (Familiaris Consortio, n. 11)

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Living our vocation

• Unique for everyone
• Sexual expression of love two specific ways to
  realise the vocation to love
• Marriage
• Celibacy

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Sexual intercourse

• Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is a
  procreative kind of act which expresses the gift
  of each person to the other.
• The only place in which this self-giving in its
  whole truth is made possible is marriage, (FC
  n.11)

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Marriage

• Communion of persons
• Trinitarian language
• the communion of persons is drawn in a certain
  sense from the mystery of the Trinitarian We
  (Letter to Families, n.8)
• Sexual intercourse is appropriate when it
  reflects the Trinity

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Churchs teaching applies to all

• All freely chosen non-marital use of our sexual
  capacities are incapable of being ordered to
  goods of the human person and their ultimate end,
  communion with God, and are incapable of
  reflecting the reality of our Triune God.

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Homosexual acts

• Such acts are objectively immoral consistent
  with the Churchs positive teaching on sexuality
• Problem with dissenting from a part of Churchs
  teaching
• Rational consistency would lead to dissent from
  wide range of church teaching

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Homosexual orientation

• Not chosen, therefore not a sin
• A disorder?
• All are called to live a life of integrated
  sexuality a life of chastity
• Virtue by which we exercise self-possession of
  ourselves in the area of sexuality

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Redeemed in Jesus Christ

• The power of Christs spirit a spirit of power,
  of love and self control (2 Tim 17)
• Child of God deserving respect

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Pastoral Care

• Do not jump to conclusions
• Do not encourage self-labelling

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Scenario A

• Distressed, bullied, called gay or lesbian
• First problem bullying
• Second step try to identify why students refer
  to him/her as gay or lesbian

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Scenario B

• Student believes he or she may be homosexual
• Do not confirm
• Possibility of confusion regarding sexuality

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Scenario C

• Student presents saying they are definitely
  homosexual although they havent had any
  experience of homosexual intercourse
• Accept the reality of the belief, but still do
  not confirm
• Reassurance, referral

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Scenario D

• Student proclaims their homosexuality and their
  homosexual activity
• Wanting to change behaviour or not?
• Positive and encouraging
• Referral to support group

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Scenario E

• Student is active and does not want to change.
• On the contrary wants everyone to know
• Help them to reflect upon the significance of
  their activity.

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Pastoral Care

• Concerned with the individual
• Educational Guidance in Human Love (Nov. 1983,
  Sacred Congregation for Education)
• The Truth and Meaning of Sexuality (Dec 1995,
  Pontifical Council for the Family)
• Hope and support