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Always
Our Children: Flawed & Defective
Most Rev. Fabian W. Bruskewitz, Bishop of
Lincoln
from the May-June 1998 issue
Last October 1st, a document
entitled Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to
Parents of Homosexual Children was published by the
Committee on Marriage and Family of the U.S.
bishops’ conference. Although this document was
evidently "approved" by the Administrative
Committee of that conference, and it would seem the
correct procedures outlined in conference rules were
followed, it should be made clear that the document was
composed without any input from the majority of the
American Catholic bishops, who were given no opportunity
whatever to comment on its pastoral usefulness or on its
contents. As almost always happens when such procedures
are used by committees of the conference, the illusion is
given, perhaps deliberately, and carried forth by the
media, to the effect that this is something the U.S.
bishops have published, rather than the correct
information being conveyed in the public; namely, that
most bishops had nothing to do with this undertaking. I
believe one would be justified in asserting that in this
case, flawed and defective procedures, badly in need of
correction and reform, resulted in a very flawed and
defective document.
The majority of America’s Catholic
bishops were allowed nothing to say about this document.
Still less were they permitted any suggestions or
comments about the "advisers" and consultants
used by the committee, who, by their own boasting and the
ordinary "rumor mill," have been detected to be
people whose qualifications in this area of moral conduct
are highly questionable. The document, in a view which is
shared by many, is founded on bad advice, mistaken
theology, erroneous science, and skewed sociology. It is
pastorally helpful in no perceptible way. Does this
committee intend to issue documents to parents of drug
addicts, promiscuous teenagers, adult children involved
in canonically invalid marriages, and the like? These are
far more numerous than parents of homosexuals. The
occasion and the motivation for this document’s
birth remain hidden in the murky arrangements which
brought it forth.
Not only does this document fail to
take into account the latest revision in the authentic
Latin version of The Catechism of the Catholic Church
regarding homosexuality, but it juxtaposes several quotes
from the Catechism in order to pretend falsely and
preposterously that the Catechism says homosexuality is a
gift from God and should be accepted as a fixed and
permanent identity. Of course, the document, in order to
support the incorrect views it contains, totally neglects
to cite the Catholic doctrine set forth by the Holy See
which teaches that the homosexual orientation is
"objectively disordered." Also, the
document’s definition of virtue and practice of
chastity is inadequate and distorted.
The character of this document is such
that it would require a book of many pages to point out
all its bad features, which sometimes cross the border
from poor advice to evil advice. For instance, I believe
it is wicked to counsel parents not to intervene, but
rather to adopt a "wait and see" attitude when
they find their adolescent children
"experimenting" with homosexual acts. Parents
have a grave moral duty to prevent their children from
committing mortal sins when they can. It is certainly and
seriously wrong to counsel parents to "accept"
their children’s homosexual friends. In my view,
parents should be vigilant about the friends and
companions of their children. Of course, the document
deliberately avoids distinguishing minor children from
adult children in its advice to parents and seems to
delight in this ambiguity, just as it confuses the
acceptance of a person who does immoral acts with the
acceptance of such a person’s immoral behavior.
Sinners are always the object of
Christ’s love and so they must also be the object of
ours. Loving sinners while hating their sins must mark
the followers of Christ even when dealing with homosexual
people. However, true love is never served by obfuscating
the truth as this document appears to do. Homosexual
acts, insofar as they are deliberately and freely done,
are mortal sins which place a person who does them in the
gravest danger of eternal damnation. The document says to
parents, "Do not blame yourselves for a homosexual
orientation in your child." Many scientists and
psychologists say that the orientation is likely and
often due to certain parental defects, which are usually
unconsciously present, and proper therapy requires that
these matters be confronted. The document claims that
something is "the common opinion of experts"
when in fact it is no such thing. One critique of this
document says that it is really an exercise in homosexual
("gay and lesbian") advocacy. It is difficult
not to see it as such.
"Calamity and frightening
disaster" are terms which are not too excessive to
describe this document. It is my view that this document
carries no weight or authority for Catholics, whom I
would advise to ignore or oppose it.
Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz is the
ordinary of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. This
article appeared in the Social Justice Review (3835
Westminster Pl. St. Louis MO 63108). It is reprinted here
with permission. SJR is the house organ of the Catholic
Central Union of America. Subscriptions are $20/yr for
six issues, $4 for a single issue.
RELATED ARTICLE: Always
Our Children--Reasons for Suspicion
[ St. Catherine Review ]
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