Posted on 05/19/2004 12:34:43 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
The blessing of a chaste life
The pastoral care of homosexual persons
Second in a Series
A few weeks ago, I sent a letter to some priests of the Diocese of Phoenix, asking them to withdraw their support from a public statement entitled “No Longer Silent Phoenix Declaration.” The letter was intended to be personal and confidential because I had hoped to engage these brother priests in a person-to-person conversation about the pastoral care of homosexual persons, without the distraction of publicity. To my disappointment, news of the letter was leaked to the press. While not making my fraternal dialogue with these priests impossible, the leak has made it more difficult.
Nonetheless, I have been able to engage the majority in substantial conversations about this important pastoral matter. And I am grateful that most, in accordance with my request, have withdrawn their support from the declaration. I continue to hope and pray that the others will do the same.
Since portions of my letter have become public, I have decided, for the sake of accuracy and fairness to all, to publish it in its entirety in this same issue of The Catholic Sun. I would like also, in this part of my series on the “Blessing of a Chaste Life,” to write about the pastoral care of homosexual persons: what not to do and what to do.
What not to do
Do not see those with homosexual inclinations as problems but as persons, persons whom Jesus redeemed by His Cross, persons called to holiness, persons with an inviolable dignity and an eternal destiny bestowed on them by God, persons like you and me, persons who have a welcome place in our Church.
Do not condone homosexual activity or fail to teach clearly that it, along with all sexual activity outside of marriage, is seriously wrong. We should not presume that others know that homosexual behavior is wrong. Our silence about it could reinforce that mistaken notion.
Do not support any group such as No Longer Silent or Dignity that fails to uphold clearly the teachings of the Bible and the Church on homosexual acts and homosexual persons. We cannot help one another along the path of conversion and union with Christ if we deny the truth.
What to do
Lend encouragement to groups like Courage that offer support to homosexual persons in their vocation to holiness, and who do this in full conformity with the teachings of the Church.
Be well informed about the teachings of our Catholic Christian faith on this topic.
Read what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about this topic (#2357-2359).
Read the Letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.
Read good books on this topic such as those by Fr. John Harvey: e.g. “The Homosexual Person” and “Truth about Homosexuality.”
Should you be aware of persons who have homosexual inclinations, accept them as brothers and sisters in Christ and support them by authentic love and prayer.
Should persons you know be engaged in homosexual activity, look for an opportunity to invite them back to the faithful practice of a life of abstinence, assure them of the power of God’s mercy to forgive and to bring fresh hope, and pray for their conversion. Christ calls us all to on-going conversion of life; so our prayers for conversion encompass ourselves as well as others.
These are only a few of the do’s and don’ts of a full program of pastoral care of homosexual persons. The books and documents mentioned above can provide a more encompassing program. As I stated in my letter to my brother priests who signed the declaration, our relationship with homosexual persons needs to be that of Christ, one that offers full and fraternal acceptance of each person as made in the image of God and one that is animated by both truth and charity. When carried out with the help of the Holy Spirit, it can help us all to grow to full maturity in Christ.
Catholic list ping.
Everything I have heard about Bishop Olmstead makes me believe he is telling the truth. He is not a grandstander, and tried to discuss this privately. It appears that one or more of the priests in question decided to enlist the liberal press in defiance of the Bishop.
Lend encouragement to groups like Courage that offer support to homosexual persons in their vocation to holiness, and who do this in full conformity with the teachings of the Church.Encourage:
Encourage is a ministry within Courage dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attractions.Standing by the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, Encourage members support one another and their loved ones through discussion, prayer and fellowship.
Come join us! If there is no group in your area, consider starting one or consider joining the ListServ.
Did he "discuss" it privately? Or, did he send a letter?
Discussion means face-to-face, and I don't get the impression that Ohlmsted did that.
You and I would have sat down with these guys in a room and hashed this out.
A letter is very impersonal and, as the bishop has discovered, can be abused.
It always amazes me that you know what others would do in the same or similar situations. I don't know what Jeff would have done and neither do you,especially since none of us know what kind of talks the Bishop may have conducted with all of his priests,separately or as a group at the point he wrote the letter.
But you see,it really does not matter,because the aftermath of the letter shows clearly that the Bishop did exactly the right thing at the right time. Just imagine if he had called them in separately or as a group to have a "discussion" that basicly reflects the content of the letter. It boggles the mind since we know that one of them leaked the letter to the press anyway.
If the Bishop had talked to them,the "leaky" one would have called the press and the press would have called some other signers and the stories would be twisted and spun and would be twisting and spinning to this very day,the press and the priests woould be having a field day.
The Bishop would have been labelled as homophobic,autocratic,mean spirited,unpastoral,rigid,hidebound and insensitive AND there would be no withdrawals of names because the purpose of the "discussion" would be lost in the surrounding argumentation and blah-blah.
I hope this is a lesson for all Bishops and priests and employers,when the facts are clear and the immediate objective is clear put it in writing and move on to the next step. Entirely too much time is spent reinventing the wheel. Dissidents always seek ambiguity in words and situations so they can waffle and weave and waste time.
What is to discuss? These priests are traitors. It is inconceivable to me that their formation was so poor and twisted that they would sign such a letter. These men knew full well what they were doing. The bishop needs to ask them to repent and accept the Catholic faith.
Saradippity is correct. Putting it in writing is putting it on the record. It is an effective way of protecting the truth, and keep from being ambushed.
In hindsight, it was a good thing he did put it on the record, because some of these guys are obviously dishonest.
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