Pastor Message
04/30/2024“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. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2358).
“May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
Anyone who watches any TV, picks up a newspaper, or even enters a store during June cannot miss the omnipresent signs and messages promoting the observance of Pride Month. Begun in 1970 as “Gay Pride Week” by a few thousand demonstrators in New York to “commemorate the Christopher Street uprisings of [1969] in which thousands of homosexuals went to the streets to demonstrate against centuries of abuse” (Library of Congress wesbite), Pride Month has expanded over the decades far beyond its original scale and purpose. No longer a cry for justice for persecuted homosexual persons, it has become a celebration of all aspects of the LGBTQ lifestyle, and far from seeking to eliminate unjust discrimination, it has become a form of discrimination itself, shaming and punishing those who decline to participate.
Ultimately, the big problem with Pride Month for us as Christians is not the LGBTQ part; it is the pride part. Persons who identify as LGBTQ are as fully human as anyone else, made in the image and likeness of God, redeemed by Christ, endowed with all the basic human rights shared by everyone and fully deserving of the same love, respect, and dignity. As Christians, we are called to oppose any form of unjust discrimination, including any perpetrated against those who identify as LGBTQ.
Unfortunately, Pride Month no longer focuses on protesting against unjust oppression of homosexual persons, at least not exclusively. The “pride” element has become an aggressive celebration and promotion of all elements of openly gay, transexual, and non-binary lifestyles, and has led to discrimination and persecution against those who refuse to support such lifestyles, in some cases endangering people’s reputations, employment, and even safety.
To the extent that Pride Month opposes unjust discrimination, we as Catholics stand with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. To the extent that it goes beyond that, promoting a radical social and political agenda that attempts to overturn the timeless, God-given plan for human sexuality, we must oppose it. And since the two streams of Pride Month cannot practically be separated, the best advice I can give to faithful Catholics is to avoid promoting Pride Month altogether. Let us find other ways to support our LGBTQ brothers and sisters that are consistent with God’s plan, and let us charitably yet boldly hold the line, whatever slings and arrows may come, against the “pride” that is attempting to lead all of society astray.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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