By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer
“Genes impel strongly in certain behavioral directives, but can’t compel us,” said Father Tadusz Pacholczyk, presenting “Welcoming in Truth and Charity: The Church’s Authentic Teaching on Same-Sex Attraction” June 22 at Berks Catholic High School, Reading.
Discussing the moral element, Father Pacholczyk said, “We’re not responsible for born inclinations. We are responsible for how we act on them.
“You can’t use the excuse ‘God made me this way.’”
Sponsored by Bishop Alfred Schlert, the morning event included a question-and-answer discussion.
Father Pacholczyk is director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Philadelphia and directs the center’s National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics.
He is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts and holds a doctoral degree in neuroscience from Yale University.
Father Pacholczyk studied for five years in Rome at both the Gregorian University and the Lateran University, where he did advanced work in dogmatic theology and bioethics.
He writes and speaks widely on bioethics and medical ethics. Since 2001 he has given several hundred presentations and invited lectures, and participated in debates and roundtables on contemporary bioethics throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
Those attending included Bishop Schlert; Father Adam Sedar, diocesan secretary for clergy; and Mary Fran Hartigan, diocesan secretary for Catholic life and evangelization.
“Father Tad beautifully explained the dignity and worth of every human person. As such, every person is welcome in the Church. He also made the essential distinction between the person and his/her actions. The person is always to be loved and accepted, but actions can be sinful,” said Bishop Schlert.
“It was great to see so many people present for this lecture. Father Tad explained well that true love always includes both the acceptance of the person and the challenge to conversion to the truth of the Gospel, which is the only way to true freedom,” said Father Sedar.
Father Pacholczyk said homosexuality has multiple variables. “Temperament is the biological contributor; however temperament alone is not enough to create a homosexual orientation. The temperament type must be met with the right environmental factors in order to produce same-sex attractions.”
Father Pacholczyk spoke of a man who was raped by a coach in his youth, and subsequently later got into a steady homosexual relationship and lived with the man. He knew it was wrong and asked God to help him. He told the partner he was living with that he’d never see him again.
Through counseling he’s found healing, and is now married with two children. At times he still struggles with attraction to men, but through faith and counseling the healing continues.
Father Pacholczyk made the comparison that some people may be genetically disposed to violence, but they have no right to attack anyone.
He said God did not make us a certain way. “We are born with original sin.”
“Genes do not compel our sexual behaviors – we have the freedom to choose.”
Father Pacholczyk said the Catechism of the Catholic Church, addressing same-sex attraction, says, “People don’t choose homosexuality, it is a trial.”
Father Pacholczyk said the late Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) Father Benedict Groeschel, discussing choosing to act on inclinations, said, “Homosexuality is a condition, gay and lesbian is a decision,” meaning that to live in a way as to march in gay pride parades “moves away from the true direction our Lord would have us follow.”
“We must find our own identity in God.”
“Christ casts the definitive light to know what our lives are to be about,” Father Pacholczyk said.
“Rather than declaring, ‘I am gay,’ say, ‘I’m a person with same-sex attraction, and my identity is in Christ,’” Father Pacholczyk said. He made the comparison to someone saying, “I’m a person with disabilities,” not “I’m a disabled person.”
Father Pacholczyk said the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith Letter to Bishops on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons published in 1986 – the congregation then led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI – said to “look at the human person – don’t get stuck on identity categories. We are made in the image and likeness of God.”
“The complementarity of man and woman enables sharing in a unique communion of persons,” Father Pacholczyk said.
“Human sexuality is not some sort of accident. It runs so deep that in marriages there is the love of God himself.”
Discussing the order of human sexual love, Father Pacholczyk said there is a plan with three signposts: complementarity, faithful and permanent union, and open to human life (fruitful).
Father Pacholczyk said sections 11 and 12 of Blessed Pope Paul VI’s “Humane Vitae,” issued in 1968, says the Church teaches that each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life, and speaks of the unitive and procreative meaning of marriage.
“Sex is for babies and bonding,” Father Pacholczyk said.
Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2357, Father Pacholczyk said, “Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’ They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.”
Father Pacholczyk said the Church has often been wrongly accused of calling people who engage in homosexual acts as disordered. “The Church is not branding people as intrinsically disordered – the act is.”
He said other intrinsically disordered acts include lying and calumny (false statements against another), masturbation, contraception and sexual assault.
“Two men might each be a good father, but neither can be a mom. The ideal for children is the love of their own mom and dad – no same-sex couple can provide that,” Father Pacholczyk said.
Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2359, Father Pacholczyk said, “Homosexual persons are called to chastity.
By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”
Father Pacholczyk said he wanted to give a “shout-out” to the Apostolate of Courage in the Church. Courage is an international apostolate of the Catholic Church that ministers to persons with same-sex attractions. It was founded in New York City in 1980, and offers support and friendship to those who experience same-sex attraction.
Father Philip Bochanski, executive director of Courage International, presented “Clarity and Charity: An Authentically Catholic Response to Same-Sex Attractions and Gender Dysphoria” Nov. 7, 2018 at DeSales University, Center Valley, during a program sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Adult Formation.
Quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church 2358, Father Pacholczyk said, “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial.
“They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”
Father Pacholczyk also emphasized the value of using “person first” language in discussions of this issue. To call a person “gay” or “lesbian” is to reduce that person’s identity to his or her sexuality.
Rather, language such as “person who experiences same-sex attraction” or “person with SSA” is more respectful of that person’s identity as being created in the image and likeness of God as a whole, multi-faceted person who cannot be reduced to merely his or her sexual inclinations.
Father Pacholczyk explained the scientific evidence showing that no person is “born gay,” and that genetic factors are at most only a small part of why some persons may experience such attractions.
Father Pacholczyk explained that although we always welcome the person with respect, compassion and sensitivity, and that although same-sex attraction in itself is not sinful, acting on that attraction is always objectively wrong.
Like lying or adultery, such actions are intrinsically evil and there are no circumstances that can justify such actions.
Sharon Dandrea, parishioner of St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, attended the session with Andrea Rentschler, a non-Catholic. Both thought the presentation was of value.
Both women agreed that “Father Pacholczyk has a moral compass that reflects our moral compass.”
Courage Offers Support
In the Courage program, the Diocese of Allentown ministers with respect, compassion and sensitivity to persons who experience same-sex attraction. Courage does not attempt to solve a problem or change an orientation, but rather to accompany people as they journey toward the truth, the truth that is the person of Jesus Christ.
Mindful that every difficulty can be an opportunity for growth in holiness, Courage offers spiritual friendship, fellowship and encouragement to live chaste lives in accordance with the natural law and the constant teaching of the Church.
Holistic in its approach, the program is intended to supplement and support lives of prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent reception of the sacraments and service to others.
EnCourage is a related program offering support to families of those persons who experience same-sex attraction.
More information is available by calling 610-334-9147 or at www.couragerc.org. All calls are confidential.
