What is the Catholic view on same-sex marriage?

Obviously, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc. is a broad topic. I will provide some general thoughts, but to anyone reading by all means feel free to follow up as needed using the form here.

As Catholics we believe that each and every human being is made in the divine image and each of us is of such worth that Jesus gave His life on Calvary. We also believe as Catholics that each of us needs to love and be loved. We all need authentic friendships.

At the same time, we live in a world fractured by sin and as a result we all have disordered passions. For that reason, we find that the world’s understanding of love is very different from that of the Gospel. 

Our human sexuality is designed for procreation. Sexual intimacy is authentic in the covenantal love of marriage between one man and one woman. Through intercourse, a man and woman give themselves physically and completely to each other. This is only authentic when they have committed every other aspect of themselves to each other through the bond of marriage. Through sexual intercourse, a man and a woman cooperate with God to be co-creators of new human life. 

The committed love of husband and wife (seeking the good of their spouse before their own wants and desires) provides the optimal environment for children. A mother and father who first love each other and together who love the child or children born from their union is the best environment for children to be formed for adulthood. I think you will find that social science data confirms this assertion.

Our bodies are not designed for homosexual physical intimacy. There are many physical health problems that occur when we use our bodies for activities for which they are not designed.  Our bodies were also not designed for heterosexual promiscuity. Once again, when we use our bodies contrary to their design there are inevitable, negative physical consequences. 

We all experience different sorts of attractions or desires that are not healthy for us. Those who experience same-sex attraction need true friendships and true experiences of love. However, sexual intimacy with another that denies the design of the human body, cannot be life-giving, and places oneself and the other at physical, emotional, and spiritual risk. This is not love. 

Marriage is by its nature designed to be open to the possibility of conceiving new human life. Children benefit from the complementary love of a mother and father. Married couples who conceive and rear children make an important contribution to the welfare of society and the nation. 

It is not just homosexual men and women who deny an essential purpose of sexual intimacy (the conceiving of and caring for children); many heterosexual couples attempt to eliminate the possibility of children through contraception and abortion. Our culture confuses sexual pleasure with love. It also has embraced the falsehood that one cannot be happy or fulfilled unless you engage in sexual activity with others. It is a misplaced compassion that encourages others to engage in activities that are harmful to themselves and involve using and harming others.

We do not know the precise cause or causes for same-sex attraction. Despite intense research, science has not been able to find the so-called “gay gene.” Same-sex attraction is a complex reality that cannot simply be reduced to being born a certain way independent of cultural and environmental factors.

We do know that some people experience same-sex attraction at a very young age. We also know that some individuals, who at one point in their lives believed they were homosexual, today are happily married heterosexuals.

We are all called to live the virtue of chastity no matter our sexual attractions. Moreover, the experience of millions through the centuries is that authentic, chaste friendships are important for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

If we truly care about others, we should encourage them to pursue what is healthy for them and what will lead to true and enduring happiness. Authentic love and care for another is not encouraging them to do whatever they feel like doing, even when it is harmful to them and others.

In some states, it is considered criminal for a therapist to help someone with same-sex attraction attempt to reorder his or her sexual attraction. At the same time, surgeons who perform sexual realignment surgeries (actually mutilating a healthy body) are praised and compensated by the government.

The Bible is clear, not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament, that homosexual acts are sinful, which means they are harmful. However, one does not need the Bible to understand that homosexual acts are disordered – they contradict our physiology. 

Again, much more can be said, both regarding the teachings themselves as well as how to live these teachings in a society that is hell-bent on redefining the human person and human relationships in ways that sharply contradict the natural law and perennial Christian teaching.

Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Courtesy of Leon Suprenant