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EDGES MAGAZINE Issue |
April 2000 |
At a recent meeting I attended
discussing the needs of young gay people , the question of Clause 28 came up .
One gay man spoke of Cardinal Winning's views,and said that whilst he was
entitled to them, he should keep them to himself. I tried to explain that the
very purpose, and calling of a bishop was to speak openly and courageously
about issues of faith and morality , and to speak in a prophetic way to the
contemporary world,about difficult issues. Cardinal Winning's remarks did seem to me to be part of the strong moral majority of all the major faiths and beyond. Though having said that it might be good to remember what Ghandi said,"That it is possible to be right even in a minority of one". Our Church history reminds us of this,with what St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester did at the time of the Reformation. Being in the majority on any side does not mean that it is automatically right.
Most of the people who watched 'Queer As Folk' both gay and straight would not want to portray this view of gay life to young people . The programme showed under-age sex,promiscuity, and the abuse of drugs. At the gut level it felt very wrong to me though I know that it exists. I would not want gay young people to put their hopes for fulfillment and happiness in this type of lifestyle. It is creative lifestyles that we need to look for. ie The development of deep friendships. Celibacy is a real prophetic option when it points not just to virginity but to the needs of the sexual poor in our culture. Celibacy is also a prophetic voice for those who struggle with their sexuality. Against popular opinion celibacy can be very creative, very loving and very life enhancing. I feel our society takes sex Far too seriously, either by excessive moralizing or by excessive preoccupation and promiscuity. We want an alternative to all of this.
The inevitable involvement of the Church with Clause 28 has brought with it difficult questions rather than easy answers. We know that even though the Church teaches no sex outside marriage, many young people do live together, and some never get married. We also know that in all the major cities of the western world,there is a large and often well organised gay lifestyle . We also know that some priests and bishops are gay. Cardinal Winning spoke of a wall of silence from religious leaders concerning Clause 28. But there is also another wall of silence from priests and bishops who are gay, and I believe that it is a wall of silence born from fear of what might happen to them if they did reveal their sexual orientation, even though they may be celibate . A report from the U.S.A. recently stated that many priests were HIV Positive.
What is the Church's ministry to them and what is their ministry to the Church? What is the theological and spiritual meaning of homosexuality? Is there a need today for a sexual theology as distinct from a theology about sexuality?
We still do not know everything about human sexuality and why people are the way they are. If God is the author of all creation and if people are born homosexual what is this great mystery God is offering us?
The prophet Isaiah predicts that when the messiah comes those who are sexually different will become a full part of the community. In the Gospel of Matthew 19:12, Jesus says "There are eunuchs born that way from their mothers womb;there are eunuchs made so by men and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven".
We have problems with our modern pluralistic society. To quote Cardinal Martini of Milan "They have difficulty in observing fidelity, perseverance in the marriage commitment,and often they are confused about the great absolute values........But it is not for me to judge society as a whole; we have to meet people face to face to find common ground on which to reflect".
The questions surrounding both heterosexuality and homosexuality are going to prove some of the most challenging reflections the Church will have to make over the next years. I feel we must all be careful not to create diversions from theses real, difficult and powerful issues or these diversions might become things which Pascal said "keep ordinary men from facing up to their spiritual desolation".
