Synopsis "faithful to the truth"
Why should a faithful lay Catholic resist the official teaching of the Church in the matter of homosexuality? If sexuality were some minor technical concern, then the role of a lay Catholic would be to accept the official line of the Magisterium and to get on with their life. However, sexuality can not be dismissed as insignificant, as the Vatican itself admits. Moreover, it is the battle ground upon which the Curia has chosen to fight a last stand against Modernity. Hence, it is necessary to take a stand on this question as a matter of "hungering and thirsting for justice."It is generally assumed by commentators that in the conflict over homosexuality the sides are well drawn up and that the alliances are clear. On the one hand is ranged the Pope and Curia, Social Conservatism, Sexual Repression, Church Tradition and Orthodoxy; while on the other is ranked Secularism, Progressivism, Social Diversity, Dissent and Enlightenment. One aim of this book is to show that this is not the case and that it is not necessary to adopt a progressivist mentality in order to defend homosexuals against the charge of immorality typically laid against them.This book is proposed as both as a resource to gay Catholics, so that they are better able to defend themselves against the ignorant attacks of those who seek to vilify them, and also to those in authority in the Church who wish to study the subject dispassionately so as to inform their conscience on the matter.The text is that of the Ninth Edition, released in August 2018.Chapters 1 to 3 consider love, sexuality, marriage and family in general, so as to provide a context for subsequent discussion. Reference is made to John Paul II's "The Theology of the Body" and to "New Natural Law Theory". Chapter 4 presents various ideas, attitudes and facts about homosexuality in order to establish what is at stake. Chapters 5 to 9 comment on the Biblical texts which are commonly thought to condemn homosexuality. These are shown to be ambiguous at best and plausibly to have no bearing on contemporary homosexuality. Chapter 10 highlights those less known texts which seem to favour homosexuality. Chapters 11 to 16 present what Catholic Tradition has to say about the subjects of sex, marriage, eroticism and homosexuality. Saints Augustine, Leo, Chrysostom, Aquinas and Aelred feature strongly. Chapters 17 and 18 critique the official teaching of the Catholic Church regarding love, sex, contraception and homosexuality. Chapter 19 reviews various gay-friendly statements made by bishops in the context of the Synod on the Family held in 2014 and 2015.Chapter 20 presents a positive theology of sex, based on the idea that eroticism is potentially a means of grace. Chapter 21 discusses how a gay Catholic ought to approach the Sacrament of Penance. Chapter 22 is a compilation of heart-felt testimonies of gay Catholic laity and clergy.Chapter 23 is a compilation of gay-themed prayers and spiritual exercises.
