I am obviously no supporter of gay rights, but the Catholic Church is just asking for trouble by making statements like this.
Catholic bishops tell gays to remain celibate
Reuters
Nov. 14, 2006
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops said on Tuesday that gay men and women should be welcomed in the church but that those who engage in homosexual activity should not receive Communion.
Guidelines adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops encouraged gays and lesbians to participate in the church, while reaffirming long-standing church doctrine that same-sex activity, as with any extramarital sex, is inherently sinful.
"Because homosexual acts cannot fulfill the natural end of human sexuality they are never morally acceptable," said Bishop Arthur Serratelli, who headed the committee that crafted the guidelines. "Such act furthermore do not lead to true human happiness."
The church has publicly wrestled with sex in recent years amid a widespread pedophile priest scandal and the national debate on gay marriage.
The new guidelines acknowledge that gays and lesbians do not choose their sexual orientation and say that homosexual "inclinations" are not in themselves sinful.
But those who feel such inclinations should remain celibate and should not tell anybody other than close friends and family about them, the document says.
The guidelines oppose same-sex marriages and civil unions and adoption by gay couples, though they say children of gay couples can be baptized. Those who are openly gay should not serve as priests or nuns, the guidelines say.
The head of a group of gay Catholics said the new policy would only drive gays and lesbians further from the church.
"They tell people they should just stay in the closet. It's not a healthy approach for anyone," said Sam Sinnett, president of the gay Catholic group DignityUSA, in a phone interview.
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