INTRODUCTION
Beloved brothers and sisters,
The proceeding proclamation is a reflection of my intense desire to please
God. I do not know how my church leaders will respond, nor do I know what
consequences lay ahead for me. I only know that I have followed my heart, and
believe I have done God's will.
Only by enduring hardship in His name can we be truly Christ-like. I
therefore urge all of you to resist religious tyranny, even in the face of
hatred and hostility. For we are perfected through our persecutions for the
sake of the spirit. May God's grace be with all of you.
Your brother in Christ,
E.J. DiStefano
Beloved brothers in Christ:
I, a lowly sinful servant of God, offer sincerest wishes for your well-being.
It is with our hearts that we speak to God, and it is my heart that I heed as
I write to you this day. I thank God through Jesus Christ for all of you,
most learned of men. Your scholarly status has enabled me to understand the
importance of Christian humility.
At one time, I also held religious office, although not in the Catholic
Church. I was a Presbyterian Deacon, and this position afforded me the
opportunity to become a leader within the local ministry. I was quite
impressed with myself, foolishly believing my office entitled me to lord it
over my fellow Christians. It was not until my conversion to Catholicism that
I was enlightened to the true depths of my own sinfulness. I realized my
associations with men and women holier than I would enable me to grow
spiritually. This realization enabled me to begin my studies and formation as
a Christian Brother in the Franciscan Third Order (Secular) of the Catholic
Church.
Your sincere efforts to lead God's children in matters of faith are a gift to
us all. You are undoubtedly earnest, though seemingly misguided, in your
attempts to please God, and it is with love for you all through our Lord,
Jesus Christ, that I make the proceeding declaration.
Several years ago, I was a politician. Intoxicated with the pursuit of
earthly power, I became an oppressor, determined to find sacrificial lambs
for the sake of satisfying my own agenda. Then, tragedy reminded me of my
reliance on God, and as I continue to devote my life more and more to knowing
Jesus Christ, I become more convinced of the futility of our attempts to
fully understand God's infinite greatness within the confines of our finite
existence. These painful lessons compel me to offer this caveat: When we
allow arrogance to dictate our conduct as Christians, rather it be
intentional or unintentional, and believe our so-called scriptural expertise
gives us the right to exclude others from God's table, we become enemies of
the Cross. For it is our unwanted, unloved, and persecuted brothers and
sisters in this world who are truly God's chosen ones. To turn our backs on
these precious children is to turn our backs on Jesus Christ himself. As our
Lord taught us:
Though they may be "least" by this world's standard, the Lord exalts them
according to His law. We must all reflect upon this lesson the next time we
feel the urge to condemn, exclude, or limit any brother or sister's access to
Jesus.
For these reasons, I am obligated to express my steadfast objections to the
pain and
persecutions the church continues to inflict upon our homosexual brothers and
sisters. I recently learned that Father Nugent's and Sister Gramick's
outreach mission to God's gay and lesbian children at the New Ways Ministry
was terminated.
The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith1 stated that "Sister
Gramick and Father Robert Nugent, who have been engaged in joint gay and
lesbian ministry since the early 1970's, advanced "'doctrinally unacceptable'
positions ,"'regarding the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts and the objective
disorder of the homosexual inclination'." I do not disagree that homosexual
acts are unacceptable within the context of religious, especially Catholic,
dogma. I do question, however, whether such acts are evil in the eyes of our
Lord. We can no longer assume to have the last word on divine precepts. I see
nothing evil about the physical expression of sincere love between two
people, regardless of their genders.
For it is only through such expression that the sexual act becomes spiritual,
as God intended. As heterosexuals, we are as capable of committing sexual sin
as our homosexual and bisexual brother's and sisters, and I am confident many
of my homosexual brothers and sisters have conducted their sex lives in a
manner much more favorable to God than I. Knowing this, I refuse to condemn
the sexual behavior of others simply to ease the sting of my own sins.
Who are any of us to decide whose worship God should accept? Who are any of
us to question the goodness of any of God's creatures? We are all His special
creations-unique, yet interdependent. We must constantly strive turn to God,
and we do so by being true to ourselves. For by doing so, we are celebrating
God's creative miracle.
When I consider that Jesus knowingly dined with His betrayer, I find it
impossible to believe He would deny any of his children-heterosexual,
homosexual, or bisexual-a place at His table. Though we may not wish to admit
it, Judas' betrayal of Jesus made our salvation possible. Jesus has a purpose
for everybody, and none of us can fulfill these obligations unless ALL OF US
are given unfettered access to God's love through Jesus Christ.
According to the Catholic News Service, 2 Cardinal Maida made the following
comments about Father Nugent's and Sister Gramick's work at New Ways
Ministry:
"...Such ministry can do more harm than good if it is conducted in the midst
of controversy and ambiguity." When I listen to these words of the good
Cardinal, I am compelled to ask myself two questions: 1) Did not our Lord's
own earthly ministry create controversy and ambiguity?, and 2) Am I to assume
from Cardinal Maida's words, that had he been a Pharisee during the time of
Christ's earthly ministry, he would have lobbied for our Lord's arrest and
subsequent execution?
It is true that the religious authorities of Jesus' time did not know the
real significance of His presence on earth. We have been blessed with the
gift of historical hindsight into Jesus Christ's true identity. Consequently,
we have a greater responsibility to adhere to His teachings. Yet we still use
our positions of authority to inflict persecution.
Our human fallibility precludes us from passing judgement upon someone else's
belief system about God, and deeming that individual unworthy of God's love
and compassion. For true virtue can be only be achieved when we are free to
listen to our own hearts, make subsequent choices, and strive to please God
accordingly. God speaks to each one of us differently. If we ignore what our
hearts tell us, we ignore God. This journey is the means through which we
attain a truly personal relationship with our Lord.
The arrogance and hypocrisy we are practicing, dear brothers, is what our
Lord spoke of when he chastised the religious authorities of his time with
these words:
In the Catholic Church's New American Bible, in the editor's footnote
pertaining to John 13:23, a verse that mentions "the one whom Jesus loved,"
this one is described as an "unnamed disciple" or "the other disciple."
Obviously, the church readily admits its uncertainty regarding the identity
of the disciple whom Jesus loved, and yet we do not seem prepared to consider
the possibility that this disciple and Jesus were in love (For that matter,
how can we be certain this disciple was not a woman?). I can only conclude it
is because such an assertion threatens our finite perception of an infinite
God.
Though there are many who point to the destruction of the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah in the Old Testament as evidence of the evils of homosexuality
(Genesis 19:4), the biblical sources vary in their accounts of this story.
According to Isaiah 1:9 and 3:9, it was a lack of social justice that caused
the cities' demise. Ezekiel 16:45-51, on the other hand, describes the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a disregard for the poor, whereas
Jeremiah 23:14 saw it as the result of general immorality. Therefore, if the
Scriptures, the primary source of our spiritual growth, contains divided
interpretations of this story, how can any of us be so certain of its
meaning?
I do not claim to know, with any degree of certainty, the beloved disciple's
identity. I can say, however, that whatever the identity of this disciple, or
the nature of his or her relationship with Jesus, it does not diminish my
faith as a Christian. Jesus was totally human as well as totally divine, and
therefore had his own human sexuality, even though he may not have acted upon
it. This in no way lessens the significance of the ultimate sacrifice He made
for us, and if any of you believe otherwise, my prayers are with you.
Our various scriptural interpretations are the result of our futile attempts
to fully understand a mysterious God. If we are to ever fulfill Christ's
intentions for one church on earth, we must focus on our common ground. This
can be found in the Lord's greatest commandment:
This naturally begs the question: What is love? I prefer to define love as
the inspiration for selflessness. What we do, not what we say, conveys our
true perception of God. If we believe God is loving and compassionate, we are
loving and compassionate toward others; if we perceive God as a judgmental,
punitive God, we judge others, and often seek to punish them. Selflessness is
love. We need simply to meditate on the image of the Cross to understand this
concept.
In closing, I want to emphasize that my remarks are in response to the
whispers of own soul, and my deep love and concern for our church, and for
all of you.
If we truly intend to be one body with our Lord as the head, we must act
boldly and abandon all policies that reflect an attitude of
self-righteousness. We cannot create one church by engaging in pious
arrogance. Jesus Christ wants us to be one family under His domain. If we are
to truly be a stable, loving family, we cannot turn our back one ANY of our
brothers and sisters. Just as with our own earthly families, we are obligated
to make all family members feel welcome and loved for who they are at all
times, regardless of our conflicts and disagreements. If we attempt to
exclude anyone from God's kingdom, we will never be able to enter ourselves.
If, as individuals, we believe homosexuality, or any other human behavior is
sinful, then we as individuals can choose not practice that behavior. We MUST
NOT, however, use these beliefs to judge and persecute our brothers and
sisters. How can any of us have a personal relationship with God, if we are
not permitted too so on our own terms?
We must have more faith in our brothers' and sisters' ability to make the
right choices, and what are the "right" choices? -those that create peace in
our hearts. For it is in those moments that we receive God's affirmation. We
need not seek approval from outside sources. We need simply to listen to the
whispers from deep within ourselves.
Imagine what a wonderful world this would be if we took care of our own glass
houses, stopped throwing stones, and loved each other for who we are-unique
creations of the living God.
My love for our Lord Jesus Christ compels me to pray for all of you. I have
often heard it said that we should hate the sin, but love the sinner. It is
with this in mind that I again express my love for you, and hope that you, in
turn, find it in your hearts to love me, a fellow sinner.
I leave you with the following words of our Lord, Jesus Christ:
God's grace and mercy be with you.
Your brother in Christ,
E.J. DiStefano
EPILOGUE
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and
forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that
is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in wisdom you teach and admonish
one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in
your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
[Colossians 3:12-17]
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Building Bridges : Gay & Lesbian Reality and the Catholic Church Robert Nugent, Jeannine Gramick Voices of Hope : A Collection of Positive Catholic Writings on Gay & Lesbian Issues Jeannine Gramick (Editor)
Websites:
Lesbian and Gay Catholic Handbook
Also In This Issue:
The Song of Songs Through Gay Eyes
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