Catholic "Ex-Gay" Group Founder Dies

Father John Harvey, the founder of a church-approved "ex-gay" ministry for Catholics, died December 27 at age 92.

Harvey founded the group Courage in 1980 for the purposes of "strengthening chastity, religious devotion, healthy friendships, and a spirit of fellowship and support among Catholics who experience same-sex attractions," the Catholic News Agency reports. He used a modified version of the "Twelve steps" program in his work helping Catholics who struggle with homosexuality to lead chaste lives.

In a 2006 interview published by the Denver Catholic Register, Harvey called homosexuality "an objective disorder because if you give consent to this disorder you end up performing an intrinsically evil act."

Read the full interview here.