In response to Dan Faas’ column, Love drives same-sex marriage fight (SN 11/24), I would like to lend my enthusiastic support to him. He is a model of Christian charity, as well as orthodoxy: a rare combination these days. Indeed, to stand in the truth with love is both a Gospel precept and a prevailing theme of the pontificate of my hero, Pope John Paul II. This is not easy. In a society that is increasingly tolerant of every idea and behavior except that which is explicitly Christian, proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed is always a risk.
I cannot, therefore, help but admire Faas’ courage, a virtue that has lent its name to an organization created by the late John Cardinal O’Connor of New York to minister to those who struggle with same-sex attraction. It may surprise many readers to know that there are many such souls who are committed to living chastely, according to the Gospel and the consistent and spirit-led teaching of the church.
I therefore direct the remainder of this letter to you who struggle with same-sex attraction, the homosexual community. I beg you, do not accept the lie society has fed you. Accept, rather, the fact that what Faas said is true — the rock foundation of the Christian sexual ethic is not hatred, bigotry or “homophobia.” It is love. This love is not simple, easy or “politically correct” but it is real. The fact is that there is a community of believers near you who, though they do not know you, really care about you … who love you.
They are not perfect. They would readily admit their own brokenness. But this is precisely why they can so effectively minister to your needs. They themselves have known the love and mercy — the profound healing power — of Jesus, and they wish to share this grace with you. True, He accepts us just as we are, but we never leave the same as we came. We are transformed into His own image and likeness, empowered for a love that is full, lasting and fruitful.
Ryan Joseph Delaney
English junior
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