Church teaching on homosexuality

This newspaper’s leader writer (October 28) saw fit to shower vituperation and attribute all sorts of epithets (“irresponsible dogmatist”, “reactionary”, “ultra-conservative”, “extremist”) to a  correspondent, Fr Patrick Pullicino, for daring to write (October 27) that “homosexual acts are not only harmful to the individuals who engage in them but also to society at large”.

In fact, Fr Pullicino was merely repeating what The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1992) states under the sub-heading “Chastity and homosexuality”, viz:

“2357 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 (my italics).

“2358 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 fulfil 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 (my italics again).

“2359 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.”

I do not think Pope Francis’ comments on the rights of homosexual couples to live together and enjoy any legal rights by contracting a civil union (but not marriage) go against Church teaching.

Joseph Grech – Birkirkara

Another COVID-19 ‘success’

It is most disheartening to read of yet another COVID-19- related local bit of lunacy. I refer to the crowded entertainment temples of last weekend as reported in Times of Malta on November 3.

While not being ‘aged and so-called vulnerable’ myself, I speak to people who are over 65 but super healthy.

They are desperately concerned about another ‘headless chicken’ panicked (over) reaction by our so-called authorities when even they are forced to take their collective head out of the sand and stop manically protecting selected groups to the certain detriment of many more.

Let us hope that the reaction to all this carelessness will not mean that anyone over 65, or whatever they decide, is to stay segregated indoors for the sake of the careless, selfish brigade who must have their entertainment/make their money… whatever the eventual cost.

Let us hope that the health authorities will be careful with healthy older people who want to be allowed to remain so – mentally and physically – via regular outdoor exercise, for example. This is especially pertinent in Malta where, as this newspaper reported on November 2, we ‘enjoy’ the darkest dwellings, from which too many people cannot even see the sky from their homes anymore.

Anna Micallef – Sliema

Hospitality drink licence

In organised countries, you can take your own wine to eating places without an alcoholic drink licence and pay no corkage fees.

May we, please, have clarification from our authorities whether this is legally possible in Malta?

Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard

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