Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Christians are always, in a sense, outsiders. We have the joy and privilege to be a leaven for good in society. That’s an exhilarating vocation. It means working for as much justice and virtue in human affairs as we can. We have a special obligation to serve the weak and the poor, and to treat even those who hate us with love.
But while we’re in the world and for the world, we’re never finally of the world. And we need to understand what that means.
Writing in the mid-first century to “all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints” — and despite the dangers and frustrations he himself faced — St. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed …” (Rom 1:7, 16-17).
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Paul’s Letter to the Romans became a key text of the New Testament. The Church has always revered it as part of the inspired Word of God and incorporated it into her thought and practice. The books of Scripture, even when they’re morally demanding, are not shackles. They’re part of God’s story of love for humanity. They’re guide rails that lead us to real dignity and salvation.
That’s a good thing. Much of human history – far too much — is a record of our species’ capacity for self-harm. The Word of God is an expression of his mercy. It helps us to become the people of integrity God created us to be. As Paul reminds us, we’re “called to be saints.”
Sometimes Scripture’s lessons toward that end can be hard. But God cannot lie. His Word always speaks the truth. And the truth, as Jesus tells us in the Gospel, makes us free. This is why Christians must never be ashamed of God’s Word – even when it’s inconvenient.
Which brings us to the heart of my comments this week.
In Romans 1:21-27, speaking of the men and women of his time “who by their wickedness suppress the truth,” Paul wrote:
“… for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools….
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”
If reading that passage makes us uneasy, it should. Many of Paul’s Roman listeners had the same response. Jesus didn’t come to affirm us in our sins and destructive behaviors – whatever they might be — but to redeem us. Paul’s message was as resented in some quarters then as it is now. In an age of sexual confusion and disorder, calls to chastity are not just unwelcome. They’re despised. But that doesn’t diminish the truth of the words Paul wrote, or their urgency for our own time.
What we do with our bodies matters. Sex is linked intimately to human identity and purpose. If our lives have no higher meaning than what we invent for ourselves, then sex is just another kind of modeling clay. We can shape it any way we please. But if our lives do have a higher purpose – and as Christians, we find that purpose in the Word of God — then so does our sexuality.
Acting in ways that violate that purpose becomes a form of self-abuse; and not just self-abuse, but a source of confusion and suffering for the wider culture. The fact that an individual’s body might incline him or her to one sort of damaging sexual behavior, or to another very different sort, doesn’t change this.
This can be a difficult teaching. It’s easy to see why so many people try to finesse or soften or ignore Paul’s words. In a culture of conflict, accommodation is always the least painful path. But it leads nowhere. It inspires no one. “Fitting in” to a society of deeply dysfunctional sexuality results in the ruin that we see in so many other dying Christian communities.
In his recent book “Building a Bridge” (HarperOne), Father James Martin, S.J., calls the Church to a spirit of respect, compassion and sensitivity in dealing with persons with same-sex attraction. This is good advice. It makes obvious sense. He asks the same spirit from persons in the LGBT community when dealing with the Church. Father Martin is a man whose work I often admire. “Building a Bridge,” though brief, is written with skill and good will.
But what the text regrettably lacks is an engagement with the substance of what divides faithful Christians from those who see no sin in active same-sex relationships. The Church is not simply about unity – as valuable as that is – but about unity in God’s love rooted in truth.
If the Letter to the Romans is true, then persons in unchaste relationships (whether homosexual or heterosexual) need conversion, not merely affirmation. If the Letter to the Romans is false, then Christian teaching is not only wrong but a wicked lie. Dealing with this frankly is the only way an honest discussion can be had.
And that honesty is what makes another recent book – “Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay” by Daniel Mattson (Ignatius) – so extraordinarily moving and powerful. As Cardinal Robert Sarah writes in the Foreword, Mattson’s candor about his own homosexuality, his struggles and failures, and his gradual transformation in Jesus Christ “bears witness to the mercy and goodness of God, to the efficacy of his grace, and to the veracity of the teachings of his Church.”
In the words of Daniel Mattson himself:
“We cannot remain reluctant to speak about the beauty of the Church’s teaching on sexuality and sexual identity for fear that it will appear ‘unloving,’ ‘irrational,’ or ‘unreal.’ We need to love the world enough to speak about the Christian vision of sexual reality, confident that God’s creation of man as male and female is truly part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are called to proclaim to a lost and confused world.
“We need to be a light for the world and speak passionately about the richness of the Church’s understanding of human sexuality. We can’t place the Good News of the Church’s teaching on human sexuality under a bushel any longer, for the world desperately needs the truth we have (p. 123).”
Spoken from experience. Spoken from the heart. No one could name the truth more clearly.
Excellent
God be with you Archbishop Chaput. I was feeling very despondent today thinking about the Modernism that has poisoned the Body of Christ. Tonight I will pray and ask for God’s mercy, grace and protection. Keep the faith, we love you!!!!
This is the best article I have read about the truth of homosexuality. It is concise and straight to the truth. I love the Bible quotes used as they affirm this teaching. The testimony was amazing. Thank your. I will be sharing this on my post. God bless
I would like to suggest that Archbishop Chaput and Fr. James Martin, SJ have a conversation in a forum. As some know, Cardinal Bernardin created the Common Ground Initiative, not to change church doctrine, but simply to gather, to listen and talk. James Martin, SJ writes a book, Bishop Paprocki of Springfield, IL writes a decree, San Diego’s bishop writes in support of LGBT community, Archbishop Chaput writes a column. It sounds cliche, but what would Jesus do? What would he say? We have enough disrespectful discord within our government (not that it is happening within the Church). However, let’s not create the same for the community, the Church, the people of God who are to be building the reign of God. Our mandate by Jesus was to spread the GOOD NEWS. JMJ, pray for us.
This is the clear speech on a topic that I’m trying to engage my children in. The book by Fr. Martin muddied the waters and seemed to suggest that the Chirch fall in line with something “nicer” than what the scriptures teach. It is always truth that we all seek. Thank you for shining a light on the path once again.
I am not a Catholic (am a Pentecostal Protestant) but I must say this is one of the best sermons I have ever read or listened to in my near 40 years as a Bible believing Christian (with a few years in active ministry). Had I not seen the name of the author of this piece, I likely would have never known a member of the Catholic clergy wrote it. I found the link to this piece from Lifesite News, whose Twitter feed I subscribe to. This needs to go viral, regardless of denomination. It strikes the right balance of unapologetic gospel preaching with compassion and a genuine understanding of the human heart & soul on an issue few preachers are willing to tackle.
Although a former Catholic, it is despairing to read and hear of a watered down gospel message & severe lack of a moral clarity coming from the Rome and the current pope (who greatly pales to Benedict & John Paul II). In a day & age where church attendance is riddled in decline and lack of a cogent gospel message, it is refreshing to see there are still a few moral men of the cloth today who are attempting to be the salt & light as Jesus outlined in Matt. 5:13-16 & who won’t compromise the truth of the gospel (as Pope Francis, Blase Cupich, Bob McElroy & others are actively doing).
This Christian and devout pro-lifer proudly stands with Archbishop Chaput.
I’m a committed Protestant of a stripe that’s not really on speaking terms with Catholicism, but I have to reach out across the aisle and say, AMEN, to everything in this fine article. I’m guessing that nearly every fellow member of my congregation would join me here. Mattson’s book sounds like a winner, too. :-)
And so the gauntlet is thrown down. It’s a church wrong and it’s restoring teaching, and was St. Paul not talking about faithful gay relationships, or his Fr. Martin dancing with heresy? I can already guess what the very gay members of the Society of Jesuits would answer, but still wait to hear what James martin might answer.
This is true, but it seems that our Pope has a more understanding and merciful approach.
Wonderful article! Well said! Thank you Archbishop!
Excellent, Archbishop! Thank you for a clear teaching of the truth! Our culture needs it so badly!
God bless, Bishop Chaput. He hits the nail on the head at a time when we so badly need it. We don’t get this from all of our Bishops, Cardinals, and even our Pope. Hearing things from our Holy Father like, “We can’t talk about these things all the time.”, or “Who am I to judge?”confuse me. How does this stress our Church’s teachings on human sexuality? How does this square with Chaput’s truthful statement that we need conversion, not affirmation? I think too many of our Church leaders are either ignoring the sin or emphasizing the part about “affirmation.” I pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, that he will become a catalyst for clarity and truth for the Church on the topic of human sexuality.
Thank you, Archbishop for your words. They are the force and the food I need right now. I was given the opportunity to teach TOB (Theology of the Body) to teens in a hispanic community and also invited to participate in a catholic radio station sharing Saint John Paul II teachings. I have learned that the fear and indifference regarding the meaning of our sexuality it’s wide spread not just in the pews but our priests, nuns and deacons. Why is that??? I am blessed for having the support of our former Pastor Fr. Muro but is not so in other churches.
PLEASE make your voice echoed among other dioceses. Its time to educate our selves and share the truth about the the teachings of the Catholic Church in regards the meaning and purpose of our sexuality, what it means to be male & what it means to be female.
Thank you,
God will find you in my prayers
J.M.J.
Thank you, Archbishop Chaput, for your excellent columns, including this present one. Your explanation about “unity in God’s love rooted in truth” is very valuable.
The sexual culture of today is based on the lowest urges of human nature. The sexual culture views one another as objects for self gratification. All human dignity is gone and perverted passions rage. What a shame.
I totally agree with your condemnation of homosexuality, although it is very watered down.
Also, you and your brother bishops should consider your involvement in aiding in the spread of homosexuality and other wicked evils like the spread of Islam through your support for refugee resettlement. History will remember the majority of you all as those who aided in the invasion of America, a large number of gravely evil bishops.
Thank you Archbishop, I too admire Father Jim Martin’s writing and his books have influenced my spiritual life in very positive ways. I have read Martin’s new book and I agree with your review here. It does fall short in the way that you point out. Perhaps he intends the book as a way to begin talking in a rational way in these divisive times. An issue that Father Martin does not address is the almost overwhelming pressure in our society to constantly affirm and celebrate gay pride, gay marriage, etc. If you don’t walk in the parade and fly the flag you are called a “hater.” Our so-called tolerant society simply cannot tolerate any disagreement on this issue.
If an open discussion is to be had, then I hope my voice of dissent is allowed on this page. People are born the way they are and you can no more chose your sexuality than you can the color of your eyes, this is known. Sexual acts do not violate our higher purpose and the “self-abuse” is not in the experiencing of sexuality, but the suppression of it. However, I do applaud the forthrightness in which you write here. When you write “It’s easy to see why so many people try to finesse or soften or ignore Paul’s words. In a culture of conflict, accommodation is always the least painful path. But it leads nowhere. It inspires no one” – I couldn’t agree more. In the effort of building bridges people try to soften the blow, tip toeing on eggshells so as to not offend one another, when in reality the roots and substance of the issue we truly disagree on isn’t being addressed. I wish there were more like Archbishop Chaput who would speak their mind plainly and true because only then can we begin the real discussions of right and wrong. I am not interested in holding hands and singing kumbaya around the campfire (although if an invitation was on offer from the Archbishop, I certainly wouldn’t reject it), I am interested in truth.
The lack of understanding sexuality on the part of the Church has plagued human kind for long enough, not to mention it has also led to the continuing downfall of the Church itself, as more abuses are uncovered everyday (an irony, or hypocrisy as I see it, I am sure is not lost on the devil). I am sorry but The Church has no more right to preach about the approval of sexual acts than Trojan does about the merits of virginity. The strict adherence to archaic backwards beliefs from a time when we didn’t know that the earth revolved around the sun is the reason people are leaving the Church, and organized religion in droves.
Thank you for another encouraging article, Archbishop Chaput. I am re-reading your wonderful book, Strangers in a Strange Land. Like the early christians, who stayed in Rome during times of plague, taking care of and showing love to those inflicted with the disease, we christians must stand out in today’s society. We must show love as Christ has loved us. Loving those in the gay/LGBT community is no exception. Despite MSM and Hollywood trying to display this community as ‘Hip, peaceful and loving,’ they are as broken as the rest of us. Their hearts are restless for God, but, they are trying to fill that void with the wrong things.
Another major problem with damaging sexual behavior today is pornography. The number of men and women afflicted with this addiction is staggering; and, addiction it is. Neurological studies have monitored brain activity showing the similarities between watching pornography and drug use. Unfortunately, this is a topic that most men won’t openly talk about creating widespread kindling that Satan is lighting a match to.
Thank you, Archbishop, for bringing into focus where Fr. Martin falls so short with his new book (as well as for your taking the time to address this buzz-generating topic in the news).. While there is a huge divide to be bridged, and while both sides of that divide need to be shown respect and compassion, Martin’s approach is mere lip service without addressing the root of the divide. I’m glad the Church, and the gay community are talking, and I appreciate the many resources the Church has to offer, but at the same time, we need to be honest about the call to chastity, and therein lies the fault with Fr. Martin’s message. Until he is prepared to address this, his book falls short.