Michigan priest's book on homosexuality

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes

By Matt Abbott
Op/Ed
Catholic Online

Father Jeffrey T. Robideau, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., has written a short 45-page book titled Homosexuality: A Look at Catholic Teaching. He has been gracious enough to allow me to print excerpts from his book, which is based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

First excerpt:

"Knowing that homosexuality is the desire for a perverted relationship with someone of the same sex, the Catechism states the 'psychological genesis remains largely unexplained.' We know that the problem lies in the thinking and in the heart as Scripture says in Mt 15:10. This leaves the question -Why and how does the heart come to desire homosexuality? This is the 'psychological genesis' that is unclear. There could be many explanations for the genesis of this disordered desire of the heart: Personal choice; Dominating Mother; Lack of a Father figure; Abused as a child; Peer pressure; Experimentation; Societal permissiveness; Misplaced trust in an authority figure; etc.

"Whatever the genesis, the person is still responsible for knowing the Moral Law and for correcting disordered thinking. Hunger is a natural desire we all experience. This does not explain why a person desires one food over another. The body sends the signal to eat, but not what to eat. There are many ways to satisfy hunger. We can eat chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, sweets or any number of other foods. But which one? This is where preference comes in. For what ever reason (psychological genesis) we prefer one thing over another. We may smell chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, but we eat the leftover coconut cream pie. Why? Because of preference. We eat the one over the other because we like it and prefer it.

Free Catholic PDF's - Home / Parish / School / Bulletin Inserts

"In the same line of thinking, there are many ways to satisfy one's sexual desires. There is natural sex between man and woman, but there is also masturbation, sodomy.... There is no need to mention any more, we know what they are. Neither the genitals, nor the hormones nor any other physical aspect of the person can determine what sexual method will be used. The genitals and hormones can influence the intellect, but cannot determine what type of sexual gratification will be used. It is the intellect that decides what sexual method is going to bring pleasure and be satisfying by seeing a greater good in the one over the other. This is called preference.

"Why would a person choose and support an unnatural and perverted method that God says is an abomination (Not to mention, one we know spreads disease)? The answer -- Bad thinking, a wrong perception of truth and of the Natural Law. An intellect that desires sodomy over natural sex is disordered.

"Some have said 'I was born this way.' Some have gone so far as to say, 'God made me this way.' God cannot and will not create contrary to His Natural Law. God is a God of reason and He does nothing contrary to reason. Conclusion, God did not create homosexuality." (above paragraphs from pp. 8-9)

Second excerpt:

"Chastity is the 'successful integration of one's sexuality' and the 'inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being.' Chastity in our spiritual being means our sexuality stems from a love and respect for the Eternal Law of God. Chastity in our bodily being means if we are: Single, widowed or celibate, we live a life of continence; Married, we must have natural acts of sex that include: mutual respect for the dignity of each other, proper use of the sexual organs such that neither person is used, embarrassed, humiliated or made uncomfortable, and an openness to the unitive and procreative aspects in each and every act of sex. The Church teaches that a homosexual grows toward the virtue of chastity, by growing in the love of the Natural Law. Being chaste, they cease to be homosexual and return to the natural state of being heterosexual. (pp. 27-28)

"There will come a point when having done the work, having developed self-mastery, having developed continence and chastity, having destroyed the vices of sodomy and homosexuality that one will come to the realization that they no longer 'experience and exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex.' They are no longer homosexual." (p. 37)

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Robideau is not happy with the recent news reports that the Vatican will admit men with the homosexual inclination if they have demonstrated a capacity to live chastely for at least three years.

Says Robideau:

"When I was in seminary as a heterosexual, I had to have all my dating questions resolved by my junior year of college, not major seminary. No one should be in major seminary if they are having sexual questions.

"Major seminary is for those who have things figured out and are mature - personally, mentally, and spiritually -- and serious about their vocation.

"The [apparent] new rule seems to suggest that homosexuals need not overcome the disordered sexual orientation so long as they do not act on it. So ... we are going to have priests who are disordered.

"These news reports say 'chaste' for three years, but as you read in my book, you see that homosexuals are not chaste by definition until they start the process of changing to the natural orientation God gave them."

Father Robideau's book can be purchased at www.getholy.com.