The Catholic Church has suspended a Vatican priest who has admitted to being homosexual, an action which may end up turning the world against traditional Catholic Beliefs
An Italian priest, Tommaso Stenico, who works as a Vatican official has recently been suspended after being caught on camera making advances towards a young man. The footage – and subsequent decision by the Catholic Church – threatens to reignite the debate surrounding the view of homosexuals in Christianity.
The Catholic Position on Homosexuality
In Catholicism, it is believed that when God created humans, he made Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The purposes of marriage (and relationships) is to have children. Clearly, this isn’t possible in a homosexual relationship and the Catholic Church believes that homosexuality is a sin because it is against the teachings of God, who said that man is intended to be with woman.
Stenico’s Defence
Filmed earlier this year for an interview on Italian television, Stenico admitted his homosexual feelings but did not regard himself as being in a state of sin. Instead he felt forced to keep these feelings secret because of the Church’s teaching on the subject.
Stenico’s voice was disguised for the interview but he was easily recognisable by those who knew him. This wasn’t surprising for the man who used to celebrate Mass on a well-known Catholic television channel and works as a high-ranking priest in charge of clergy around the world.
Stenico has said that he is not homosexual but pretended to be gay as part of his work as a priest and psychoanalyst. Rather than showing homosexual tendencies, he maintains that he was just gathering information about “those who damage the image of the Church with homosexual activity.” In a letter published by Italian online newspaper, Petrus, he said, “I was homosexual in order to unmask those who really are.”
He has also admitted using online gay chatrooms as part of his research in an attempt to identify and root out homosexuality in the Catholic Church.
Vatican spokesman, Father Frederico Lombardi, has said that Stenico’s position in the Church meant that the Vatican had no option but to take action.
Homosexuality is not a Sin
Being born homosexual is a natural state that some people are born into. Just as one can't decide to be white, or black or female or male, one cannot change what they are in the world. Logically speaking, it can’t be a sin to be born a certain way.
And even when people choose a way of life, should it still be seen as wrong? If someone decides to be in a homosexual relationship, surely it is a matter of personal choice and it is irrelevant whether or not people around them feel they are making the right decision.
Yet , if they are being sinful, then the role of the Church must be to support them and guide them as Jesus did and not to condemn or chastise as humans do. If a gay person is treated in this way, surely it says more about the Church and its individuals and less about the teachings of God.
