The nation's
Roman Catholic bishops adopted new guidelines for gay
outreach Tuesday that are meant to be welcoming while also
telling gays to be celibate since the church considers
their sexuality ''disordered.'' Gay Catholic activists
said the approach was so contorted and flawed that it
would alienate the very people it was trying to reach.
The statement,
''Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination,'' was
adopted by a 194-37 vote, with one abstention, at a meeting
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The
bishops also overwhelmingly adopted separate
statements encouraging Catholics to obey the church's widely
ignored ban on artificial contraception and directing
parishioners to examine their consciences to decide if
they are worthy of receiving Holy Communion.
Anyone who
knowingly persists in sinful behavior, such as gay sex or
using artificial birth control, should refrain from taking
Communion, the bishops said. ''To be a Catholic is a
challenge,'' said Bishop Arthur Serratelli of
Paterson, N.J., chairman of the bishops' doctrine
committee. ''To be a Catholic requires a certain choice.''
Presenting the
gay ministry document at the meeting, Serratelli
acknowledged that gay and lesbian Catholics ''have a
difficult task in this world, but this task is
necessary and good.'' 'He added, 'The tone of the
document is positive, pastoral and welcoming. 'Its starting
point is the intrinsic human dignity of every person
and God's love for every person.''
But gay Catholic
groups thought the bishops' approach was flat-out wrong.
Francisco DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways
Ministry, an independent outreach to Catholic gays
that has run afoul of some church leaders, said the
guidelines ''do not reflect good science, good
theology, or human reality.'' He went on, ''This document
proposes that lesbian and gay people be viewed not in
the entirety of their lives, but in one dimension
only--the sexual dimension. 'No other group in the
church is singled out in this way.''
The guidelines
condemn discrimination against gays and say it's not a sin
to be attracted to someone of the same sex--only to
act on those feelings. The bishops also underscore
Catholic opposition to same-sex marriage and adoption
by gay and lesbian couples, but also say children of gay
Catholics can be baptized if they are being raised in the
faith.
Under the
guidelines parishes are instructed to help Catholics avoid
''the lifestyle and values of a 'gay subculture.''' Gays
also are discouraged from telling anyone about their
sexual orientation outside a close circle of friends
and supporters in the church.
On the subject of
therapy to change same-sex attraction, the bishops said
there is no scientific consensus on whether it can succeed.
But church leaders say gays are free to seek
counseling to help them live a chaste life.
Sam Sinnett,
president of Dignity USA, an advocacy group for gay
Catholics, said the document is damaging because it
recommends that gays ''stay emotionally and
spiritually in the closet.'' (AP)