Monday, July 18, 2005
Collar and Cuffs Don't Match
When I was a young man, I was struggling with gayness. As a newly-fledged Catholic (I actually ended up being baptism, receiving first communion, and getting confirmed in one night; yay for late bloomers!), I'd heard that homosexuality was a mortal sin. I went to my youth minister, Bob, and asked him if I was going to Hell, and he told me that being gay wasn't a sin, but gay sex was, and even then, it was just as bad as straight sex with a condom. Bob actually gave me the strength to recognize that, hey, being gay was okay, and I came out a few months later.
I'm so glad to see that Pope Benedict XVI is doing everything he can to shit all over my happy memories. Benedict is now saying that one who merely "has a homosexual tendency" is not fit to become a priest. It's loosely defined, of course, but it could basically say it doesn't matter if a gay guy remains celibate; he's still not fit to become a priest. Andrew Sullivan drives me crazy every so often, but he hits in right on the mark when he mentions Father Mychal Judge, the priest who died in the WTC administering to fallen firemen, and who just happened to be gay. Under Benedict's order, despite being celibate, he was nothing.
I'm tired of it. I've been tired of it for a long time, which was obviously why I left the Church in the first place. But now I'm just tired of being told by someone who's never had to struggle with coming to grips with their sexuality tell me that it doesn't matter how hard I try, I'm still fucked up.
So stuff it, Ratzinger. You didn't look over me while I was learning about Catholicism; Bob did. So I think I'll take his word over yours.
I'm so glad to see that Pope Benedict XVI is doing everything he can to shit all over my happy memories. Benedict is now saying that one who merely "has a homosexual tendency" is not fit to become a priest. It's loosely defined, of course, but it could basically say it doesn't matter if a gay guy remains celibate; he's still not fit to become a priest. Andrew Sullivan drives me crazy every so often, but he hits in right on the mark when he mentions Father Mychal Judge, the priest who died in the WTC administering to fallen firemen, and who just happened to be gay. Under Benedict's order, despite being celibate, he was nothing.
I'm tired of it. I've been tired of it for a long time, which was obviously why I left the Church in the first place. But now I'm just tired of being told by someone who's never had to struggle with coming to grips with their sexuality tell me that it doesn't matter how hard I try, I'm still fucked up.
So stuff it, Ratzinger. You didn't look over me while I was learning about Catholicism; Bob did. So I think I'll take his word over yours.
