Courage Founder Warns Parents of Dangers of P-FLAG
Father John Harvey Speaks of His Ministry

In the wake of recent controversy surrounding a P-FLAG (Parents, Friends & Family of Lesbians & Gays) speaker addressing Catholic students at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, a group of concerned Catholic parents invited Fr. John Harvey to town to speak on his unique ministry to men and women who bear the cross of homosexual desires. Harvey, an oblate of St. Francis de Sales, is founder of the 17-year-old Catholic ministry, Courage.

According to St. Xavier parent Joanne Ruther, who spearheaded the effort to bring the New York priest into Cincinnati, a group of Catholic parents have become increasingly concerned that their children are not accurately receiving the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

"We brought in Fr. Harvey to educate the educators and the parents of Catholic students. Courage is a wonderful Catholic ministry and I have found Fr. Harvey to be a caring and compassionate priest." Ruther said that in addition to the lecture being publicly advertised, invitations were mailed out to hundreds of Catholic educators and counselors in the archdiocese of Cincinnati and the diocese of Covington.

Courage has been largely successful in helping those with homosexual tendencies lead chaste lives and loosing them from their homosexual inclinations. Approved by the Pontifical Council for the Family, Courage has been the object of derision by many homosexual advocacy groups—including P-FLAG—inside and outside of the Church. They mainly object to Harvey’s faithful adherence to the Church’s teaching on homosexuality—that the inclination is an objective disorder—and the group’s emphasis on chastity.

On May 6, speaking to an audience of nearly 200, including 28 priests, at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood, Ohio, Harvey stressed the importance of understanding the Church’s authentic teaching on homosexuality: The Church makes a distinction between homosexual acts and homosexuality as a condition, said Harvey. "The condition of homosexuality is not a sin, but the inclination to homogenital activity–called "homosexuality"—is intrinsically disordered. The Church teaches that homosexual acts are immoral," he said.

Harvey explained that God created man and woman to live in monogamous relationships, to complement one another with their sexuality: masculine and feminine. He said that Judeo-Christian tradition and doctrine support this duality: "Yahweh was the bridegroom united to the bride of Israel, and Christ is the bridegroom united to the bride of His Church."

Natural law also supports this basic principle of human sexuality, he said. "The human body," said Harvey, "was not made for sodomy. It is a violation of the body, a perversion of true human sexuality. Anyone who comes to Courage for support must understand that. Courage works only for those who want it to, for those who want to lead chaste lives."

Harvey spoke of homosexual inclinations as a spiritual crisis, therefore requiring a spiritual solution. He explained that the Courage methodology is not unlike the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program. He outlined the Courage spiritual growth plan designed to lead those who seek help to live lives of inner chastity: relax, practice an examination of conscience, choose a spiritual guide, meditate on the life of Christ and His teachings, pray, attend Mass and say the rosary, if at all possible, each day.

"Homosexuality is a consequence of turning away from God and revelation," said Harvey. In Romans, St. Paul writes that because men exchanged truth for a lie and worshipped idols instead of the true God, "God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error."

Always Our Children
Harvey said he had always been careful not to be critical of bishops, and had never publicly criticized any bishop until "Always Our Children" (AOC) was released last year. After reading the document, he said he immediately phoned his archbishop, Cardinal John O’Connor, to tell him that he could not remain silent on this important issue. Harvey released a critique of the document on October 3 last year, recommending that AOC be substantively revised in light of its gross inadequacies.

Harvey felt the pastoral letter, released by the Bishops Committee on Marriage and Family Life, is a deceptive document. He pointed out that the document "says that ‘sexuality is a gift from God’ and then goes on to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2333. The idea conveyed is that homosexuality is a gift from God, and should be accepted as one’s fixed and permanent identity; however, the actual quote from the Catechism, ‘Everyone, man and woman, should acknowledge and accept his sexual identity,’ is part of a paragraph describing the complementarily of man and woman in married life."

Harvey also said that he could not in good conscience support the pastoral recommendations set forth by AOC. "Some assumptions seem to be made based on erroneous science," he said.

An alternative to P-FLAG
When asked if he thought P-FLAG should have a presence in Catholic schools, he answered with a firm no. "P-FLAG simply does not accept Church teaching on homosexuality," said Harvey, "I object to their principles, which are anti-Christian, and I object to their implicit approval of the homosexual lifestyle."

P-FLAG, said Harvey, is a prime mover in "the growing political movement to recognize [homosex] relationships as being equivalent to marriage. The contemporary world sees homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle to marriage." He said, by way of example, already one half of the Fortune 500 companies have "caved in" to this politically-correct climate by offering benefits to same-sex partners of homosexual employees.

A few years ago Harvey founded EnCourage for relatives of men and women with homosexual feelings. Rather than supporting the homosexual lifestyle as does P-FLAG and other groups, EnCourage provides a true Catholic outreach for men and women who struggle with these feelings. "With the support of Christ, His Church –and ourselves as family and friends—it is possible for our loved ones to live a single celibate life in a happy manner," said Harvey.

Catholic parents who refuse to condone their son’s or daughter’s homosexual lifestyle are often treated poorly by other family members, said Harvey. "They love their son or daughter, but they will not accept the behavior," he said. "They’re usually ostracized by the son or daughter and often by siblings. They can get help by getting support from other people in the same situation."

Support from local clergy
Harvey’s lecture on the controversial topic of homosexuality and Church teaching attracted the interest of 28 priests from three dioceses—Cincinnati, Covington and Lexington. Six of those priests concelebrated Mass with Fr. Harvey prior to his lecture, and 17 of the priests met with Fr. Harvey to discuss pastoral strategies.

"He confirmed Church teaching decisively, which is just what we don’t often hear," commented Msgr. Henry Klocker, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. "There are two words used by the Holy Father which are important in this issue: ‘intrinsically disordered.’ Fr. Harvey was clear about that," said Klocker.

Fr. William Hinds, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Maysville, Kentucky, noted that Fr. Harvey is very careful and does not overstate his case. "He has much experience in the area of homosexuality, in the care of the homosexual person, and in the area of Church politics concerning the kind of care which should or will be given. He is, however, clearly in line with Church teaching regarding the moral evil of homosexual activity," said Hinds.

Fr. Roger Arnsparger, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Corbin, Kentucky, concelebrated Mass with Harvey, preaching the homily to the Cincinnati audience.

"Father Harvey’s clear proclamation of the truth of the Gospel and its liberating power for the homosexual is a grace for all Christians," said Arnsparger. "The freedom which chastity offers to the individual person was attested by the witness he gave and is well presented in his writings as well as the Courage organization itself and its literature.

"The charity of those who organized Fr. Harvey’s presentation is to be greatly appreciated. I hope every diocese will offer the Courage model of ministry to the faithful."

From Dignity to Courage
Cincinnati’s diocesan paper, The Catholic Telegraph, reported selectively on the Harvey lecture, giving the impression that the archdiocese sponsored his visit. No mention was made of his opposition to groups such as P-FLAG nor his criticism of "Always Our Children." The Diocese of Covington’s diocesan paper carried no report on the Harvey lecture.

The Telegraph article also reported that Cincinnati archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk was forming a local chapter of Courage under the direction of Fr. Mike Leshney, director of campus ministries at Moeller High School in Cincinnati. Leshney was identified in the article as having "ministered to gays and lesbians when he served as chaplain of a local chapter of the Dignity organization." According to the Telegraph, Leshney will be assisted by Fr. Ray Kellerman, who serves on the diocesan tribunal.

Neither Leshney nor Kellerman attended Fr. Harvey’s lecture on May 6, nor has either priest, according to Harvey, contacted him about establishing the Courage chapter.

--Michael S. Rose

RELATED ARTICLE: Catholic Gay/Lesbian Inclusion Project

[ St. Catherine Review ]