Supporting priests in Boy Scout controversy

By Matt C. Abbott

I commend Father Derek Lappe, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Bremerton, Wash., for ceasing his parish's support of the Boy Scouts of America due to the organization's recent decision to welcome openly homosexual Scouts. (And, wouldn't you know, the Boy Scouts are now marching in "gay pride" parades – at least one thus far. Click here for that depressing news item.)

Click here to read Father Lappe's detailed letter to his parish.

Not surprisingly, Father Lappe is now a target of the Catholic left. To wit: In a May 31 press release, Catholics United announced that it has started an online petition "asking Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain to make the Church's position on care for gay people clear to this priest."

Here's more from CU's vomit-inducing statement:

'Father Lappe's decision to disassociate his parish from the Boy Scouts is a sad reminder that too many Catholic leaders are out of touch when it comes to understanding the nature of human sexuality,' said James Salt, executive director of Catholics United and an Eagle Scout. 'This priest's use of stereotypes to describe the cause of same-sex attraction is offensive and not in line with basic Catholic teachings.'

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly states that discrimination of homosexuals is contrary to the faith and does not promote Christian values.

'The Catholic Church has long held that individuals with same-sex attractions should be respected and protected from discrimination,' said Salt. 'Catholics United calls on Father Lappe's superiors to condemn this kind of bullying from a man who is supposed to be a witness of Christian love and acceptance.'

First, it's absurd for CU to assert that Father Lappe is somehow engaged in bullying. Please! Father is simply doing what more clergy should be doing: speaking the truth in love and opposing the gay agenda.

CU also conveniently omits a key word in regard to the treatment of homosexual persons. In fact, CU doesn't even bother quoting the Catechism in its statement, which makes it easy to misrepresent what the Church actually teaches – something the Catholic left is notorious for doing.

The following is the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality (paragraphs 2357 to 2359):

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. 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.

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.

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.

The key word CU omits in its aforementioned statement is "unjust." According to the Vatican document Some Considerations Concerning the Response to Legislative Proposals on the Non-Discrimination of Homosexual Persons:

There are areas in which it is not unjust discrimination to take sexual orientation into account, for example, in the placement of children for adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or athletic coaches, and in military recruitment....

Click here to read the document.

Although I'm not starting a petition per se, I urge readers who appreciate faithful priests to send to the Archdiocese of Seattle an email in support of Father Lappe. Click here for contact information.

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Another priest, Father Brian Grady of the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., is taking heat for withdrawing sponsorship of a local Boy Scout troop because of BSA's immoral policy change (source).

Click here for contact information for the Diocese of Rockford. Support Father Grady as well.

© Matt C. Abbott