The Catholic Church’s sexual ethic is anachronistic, says Salesian Father Ronaldo Zacharias. Its “established, dogmatic models of the theological approach to sexuality have become anachronistic.” Zacharias made the statement when speaking at a conference in Rome on sexuality and culture at the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences. New sexual ethic Read more
Providing foster care is off the cards at present for a Catholic couple in Massachusetts. They say their religious beliefs are behind a ban on them participating in their State’s foster care system. Fighting the ban, Mike and Catherine “Kitty” Burke (pictured) turned to liberty group Becket Law who have filed a federal lawsuit on Read more
In the recent discussions raised by San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy on “radical inclusion,” for LGBTQ people and others in the Catholic Church, one obstacle posed is the consistent teaching of the church in sexual ethics. As a moral theologian, I believe it is worth knowing how and why those teachings were formed in the Read more
Catholic teaching on sexuality needs a new perspective, says German Bishop Helmut Dieser. “Same-sex feelings and love are not an aberration, but a variant of human sexuality,” he says. Homosexuals have a right to church support and blessing. Dieser (pictured), who is the spokesman on abuse issues for the German bishops’ conference, says the current Read more
An image has been occurring to me of boats that have become unmoored. They end up on the rocks, or colliding with one another. There are features of our Western world’s culture that seem to fit the image. Important aspects of our lives seem to have become disconnected from what gives them meaning. If this Read more
If Catholic bishops hope to reclaim their moral credibility after revelations about covering up clergy sexual abuse, the hierarchy might start by sending a simple but potent message: Church leaders should take a year of abstinence from preaching about sex and gender. It might seem obvious that a church facing a crisis of legitimacy caused Read more
Did a just-concluded meeting of Catholic bishops here open the door to rethinking Catholic teaching on homosexuality? The question was unexpectedly left hanging in the wake of the final report of the Vatican’s synod on young people, which ended Sunday (Oct. 28). Produced in a unique collaboration between 249 bishops and some three dozen young Read more
Hundreds of priests in Britain support Humanae Vitae – the encyclical affirming traditional Christian teaching on the family and sexuality. The encyclical, written by Pope Paul VI and issued in July 1968, specifically deems artificial contraception as being “absolutely excluded” and “intrinsically wrong”. The British clergy have signed a statement endorsing the encyclical as its Read more
Young people helping the Vatican hierarchy prepare for next year’s Synod say the bishops should be open to hearing young people talk about sex, love and sexuality. The theme for the October 2018 conference is “Young people, faith, and vocational discernment”. To involve young people in planning and preparation for the conference, the Secretariat General of Read more
A new study has highlighted concerns about the sexual and relationship rights of people living in Australian residential aged care. Research from the University of New England showed many couples in such facilities are unable to have normal sexual relationships. This is because of systematic and illegal breaches of their privacy, the study stated. The Read more