The Basics
The Church and Homosexuality according to CatholicAnswers.com
Click on the above link to see the article on Catholic Answers about homosexuality. Similar to many arguments made in defense of Church teaching against homosexuality, this article can seem insensitive and at times uninformed about the homosexual experience. However it does lay down some of the basics to inform us of Church teaching.
What the Church Teaches about Homosexuality
An article by Richard Sparks, C.S.P.
Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons
Official Vatican document written by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, approved by Pope John Paul II in 1986.
Responses and reactions to this letter can be found in the book: The Vatican and Homosexuality: Reactions to the "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexuals.
Courage
http://www.couragerc.net/
You can join a mailing list or attend chapter meetings. The listservs are very active and have postings every day. This is a good way to meet other devout Catholics struggling with same-sex attraction.
CALGM - Catholic Association of Lesbian and Gay Ministry
http://www.calgm.org/
"The Gospel of Jesus Christ leads the Association to affirm and provide inclusive pastoral care with lesbians and gay people and their families and friends in the Catholic community."
Dignity and NewWays - An Alternative View
An alternative to official Church teaching comes from DignityUSA.org and NewWays Ministry. They argue against the Church and believe the the official teaching is wrong but they still consider themselves Catholic. The Catholic Church does not approve of this organization. We, at this website, believe that remaining faithful to the Church is of the utmost importance, however alternative voices need to be heard and understood by the Church. By offering links to organizations that reject Church teaching, we hope readers will gain a greater understanding of the issues at hand. Please feel encouraged that you are not alone. There are many, perhaps like you, who are struggling with their conscience, trying to determine the right path. We do hope that one day, all gays, lesbians and transgendered people will be able to find the support they need within the Church.
Food For Thought - Some Theology
John Paul II's Theology of the Body gives some Catholic theological insight into the foundations of human sexuality from the starting point of an analysis of Genesis. This a bit of heavy reading. There are many easier to understand commentary's out there. Here is an excerpt to give you a sense of what's in store:
"It proves that in every conjugal union of man and woman, the same original consciousness of the unifying significance of the body in its masculinity and femininity is discovered again. At the same time, the biblical text indicates that each of these unions renews, in a way, the mystery of creation in all its original depth and vital power. "Taken out of man" as "flesh of his flesh," woman subsequently becomes, as wife and through her motherhood,
mother of the living (cf. Gn 3:20), since her motherhood also has its origin in him. Procreation is rooted in creation, and every time, in a
sense, reproduces its mystery."
(From MARRIAGE ONE AND INDISSOLUBLE IN FIRST CHAPTERS OF GENESIS in the Theology of the Body, section 4).
Infallibility of the Church
Here is an article on the infallibility of the Church: Catholic Encyclopedia:Infallibility.
In short this explains the doctrine that Church teaching is objectively True. The author of this article explains in depth this belief, in a defensive but informative argument.
