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Former Irish President Mary McAleese has been in a testy exchange with a US archbishop over whether homosexuals are “disordered”.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia spoke to media about Ms McAleese’s recent claim that the Church’s description of homosexuality as “instrinsically disordered” with a tendency to “evil” led to homophobia.
The archbishop stated: “I’ve read the documents and the Church has never said that homosexual persons are disordered.”
He said the Church states “that being attracted to a person of the same gender sexually is a disorder of our sexual nature”.
“A lot of people have disorders. In fact we all do. Some of it would be less serious than sexual, like me and glasses or not being able to hear well, or having a tendency to overeat, those are all disorders that a person may have but it doesn’t destroy their dignity.”
Ms McAleese cited the 1975 CDF document Persona Humana to support her case.
She also cited a 1986 statement from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and a 2005 statement by Pope Benedict XVI.
Ms McAleese said: “Now if as Archbishop Chaput says the Church teaches that homosexuality is no more ‘disordered’ than myopia or being hard of hearing then I would be happy to be directed to those Church documents which say so.”
“I have not been able to find them.”
Archbishop Chaput said Ms McAleese was trying to control the faith of the Church.
She had “a very narrow point of view that’s trying to control something she shouldn’t try to control, that is the faith of the Catholic Church”, he said.
Ms McAleese said Archbishop Chaput’s statement is “slightly hysterical”.
“I acknowledge I like many others wish to see my Church’s teaching on this subject change before it causes any more damage,” she said.
Ms McAleese has a son who is homosexual.
Addressing the synod on the family on Saturday, Archbishop Chaput warned of the dangers of disunity in the Church.
Sources
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News category: World.
