The persecution of Sister Jane Dominic Laurel

By Judie Brown

Teaching the truths about homosexuality, chastity, adultery, and how God wants us to live our lives is not always an easy thing to do. Nor is living that life. But God asks that we do our best nevertheless, for our ultimate goal is eternity with Him. We cannot plead ignorance. We cannot justify that we chose otherwise. God's word is the truth, and though some may try to silence those who tell the truth, it doesn't change the facts.

Sister Jane Dominic Laurel, a Dominican nun who has recently come under fire for a presentation she made to a group of Catholic students in North Carolina, has been doing the same type of presentation for years. Her subject matter is Catholic teaching on the truth about human sexuality-popularized by Pope John Paul II as the "theology of the body."

Those who applaud her presentations and find nothing offensive about them have written what an "extraordinarily refreshing" speaker sister is, capable of communicating basic truths "about who we really are with a hopeful view of life and love and the happiness we were created to share."

When Sister Jane Dominic spoke to a group of Catholic high school students in Texas, one reporter wrote, "She used many examples to explain the differences between men and women and how those differences-biological and psychological-were instilled by God into our bodies and souls to inform us of what it means to be masculine or feminine. She discussed how the entire female body says 'active receptivity' and how the entire male body says 'life-giving initiative' and how the designs of our bodies communicate this to us."

Furthermore, according to a Women of Grace blog, "Sister Jane, who has a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, said she has given the talk more than 80 times in 25 states without a problem."

So why the hubbub in North Carolina? It is alleged that she taught the students that homosexuality is wrong and offensive to God. Though we do not have the text of her presentation, we get the gist!

After Sister Jane Dominic's talk, students wrote a petition that listed 10 objections to her speech. The closing statement in the petition declared, "We the students of Charlotte Catholic High School are confused why time was spent condemning the practice of homosexuality."

In addition, "Sr. Laurel's critics have complained about a section of her talk in which she discussed scientific findings related to the causes of homosexuality. According to the Charlotte Observer, she was accused of using 'suspect anecdotes, antiquated data, and broad generalizations to demonize gays and lesbians as well as divorced and single parents.'"

However, the overriding message we received from this public furor-which in my mind is much ado about nothing-is that, if a Catholic moral theologian has the courage to set forth Catholic teaching on homosexuality, there will be a hefty price to pay. In this era of tolerance for evil and sin, there is apparently no room to hear the truth. This is so even though that very truth is enunciated plainly and without confusion in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

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.

Note the closing sentence! Now ask yourself one simple question: If this is the actual teaching of the Catholic Church on this matter, how can it be that the articulate, well-thought-of theologian, Sister Jane Dominic Laurel, has now gone "on sabbatical" for teaching that truth to young people?

There is something tragically wrong with this picture. But then again, this is the same Church that is populated by far too many bishops and cardinals who refuse to obey the laws of the Church-especially the canon that requires them to protect Christ from sacrilege.

Why? Because political correctness demands that pro-abortion Catholics in public life should be given a pass!

This very same scandal, the gospel of tolerance, has now resulted in the removal of a faithful nun from public view.

The persecution of Sister Jane Dominic Laurel is a travesty of justice.

© Judie Brown