by Louis Georges

Created on: November 20, 2007   Last Updated: December 21, 2008

Sex outside of wedlock is forbidden. It matters not with whom; sex outside of wedlock is forbidden. Because priests do not marry, this means that, for them, all sex is forbidden. Heterosexual and homosexual fornication are both unequivocally disallowed.

A priest who has an affair with a woman has sinned. The same is true for a priest who is intimate with a man. The restriction of celibacy is the same for all priests and does not change based on sexual orientation. A priest who is attracted to women and one who is attracted to men are called to have the exact same sex life; that is, none at all. So, as far as the priest's personal behavior, there is no difference between heterosexual and homosexual. The priest is called to be asexual.

What happens when the priest steps into the pulpit? Will a priest with homosexual tendencies deliver a different message? In the Catholic Church, the message is defined by the Church. The priest does not act as theologian. Every message must be consistent with the catechism of the Church. Therefore, the teaching is the same for everyone else as it is for the priests. The Church teaches that extramarital sex is not allowed for anyone. The Church teaches love and tolerance for all God's children. The Church teaches forgiveness.

Priests are not perfect. They are men called by God to do His work, and men are fallible. Occasionally a priest will distort the message. This could be a heterosexual priest preaching intolerance of gays. It could be a homosexual priest advocating gay marriage. Anyone can miss the mark from time to time.

A priest who has homosexual tendencies is no less of a priest than his heterosexual counterpart. We accept everyone with their differences; we are all children of God. Where we are all identical is in our obligation to obey His law. Everyone is tempted to do things that are not allowed. Each must pursue his own private struggle to stay clear of sin, regardless of what sins they may be.

The issue becomes somewhat more cloudy in denominations that do allow priests to marry. Extramarital sexual activity is always forbidden whether with a man or a woman. What about intimacy within a gay marriage? If gay marriage is sanctioned by the secular government, then there will be pressure on the Church to follow suit. Until that happens, though, there is no real issue as long as the priest stays true to the Church's message.

Is a man who has been intimate with other men less fit to be a priest than a man who has had female partners? Both acts violate Church law. But, any sin can be forgiven by God. Who are we, then, to withhold our forgiveness?

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