Those who watched Xarabank on TVM a couple of weeks ago no doubt had mixed feelings. Those who know what's going on in the world were not at all surprised to see and hear gays speaking openly about their sexual orientation. Others must have been shocked that such a delicate subject was even discussed. They must have been even more shocked to hear men and women openly and "unashamedly" profess that they are homosexuals or lesbians.
Not so long ago gay men and women would not even have dared to mention the fact that they were "different" for fear of being ostracised - not always politely or diplomatically. Now of course no such fear exists. Society has come to realise that a number of men and women, some say between five and ten per cent of the population, are homosexuals. And most - though not all - can do nothing about their sexual orientation.
The Bible has harsh words for those who indulge in homosexual acts. To quote just one instance in his Letter to the Romans (homosexuality, like prostitution, is as old as man), Paul states unequivocally: "Therefore God gave them (homosexuals) up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves... Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men, likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men..."
Paul condemns the act, and not the orientation. That still holds good today, 2,000 years later. This has been made clear in the statement issued by the bishops of Malta and Gozo just over a week ago. The bishops, quoting Scripture, the Document by the Congregation of the Faith (1975) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, state unequivocally that homosexual acts "go against natural law" are "acts of grave depravity" and "intrinsically disordered".
The bishops state categorically that there "are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and the family". Earlier they said that "marriage does not just mean any relationship between two human beings, but means a union between a man and a woman for reasons determined by nature itself".
However the bishops' statement does not begin and end with the condemnation of the act between homosexuals and their (and the Church's) unequivocal rejection of same-sex "marriages". The Archbishop, the Bishop of Gozo and the Vicar-General make it clear, as the Church has been teaching all along, that people with same-sex orientation should not be discriminated against but should be shown love.
They quote once more from the Catechism and urge all to accept homosexuals "with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfil God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."
The bishops conclude their statement by referring once again to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which reminds homosexuals that they, like heterosexuals, are called to chastity and that through grace, prayer and the support of others "they can and should... approach Christian perfection."
The bishops' statement was timely, relevant and above all compassionate. One would have thought that their appeal for tolerance and understanding would be appreciated by homosexuals and their relatives who, as could be seen from the TV programme, go through a great deal of psychological hardship. It is a real pity that the legal gay movement chose to react most negatively to the bishops' statement and appeals.
This notwithstanding, the Church in Malta should move from words to action and offer concrete help to those homosexual men and women who in spite of their good intentions are finding their burden too heavy to carry. Through this help homosexuals will be able to appreciate that the Church's uncompromising stand on what constitutes marriage is in no way meant to add to this burden. Heterosexuals too, whether they are single, separated, widowed or divorced, have similar burdens to carry.