1. They are not lambs without blemish.

Ordained persons, and persons consecrated to God in the religious life, are a living sacrifice offered by the faithful to God. The faithful must offer to God only the best of the flock, the lambs without blemish.

“And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a one year old male.” (Exodus 12:5).
“And he chose priests without blemish, whose will held to the law of God.” (1 Maccabees 4:42).

A homosexual orientation is a blemish upon human nature because homosexuality is fundamentally opposed to God's will for humanity. Heterosexuality has a proper expression in God's plan, within holy matrimony; but homosexuality has no proper expression within God's plan for the human race. The homosexual orientation is a severe blemish upon human nature.

2. They have an intrinsic moral disorder.

Homosexuals have a human nature with an intrinsic moral disorder. This disorder is a type of damage to the human person that is so fundamental to human life as to make them unfit for ordination or the religious life. Even if a homosexual refrains from sexual activity, the moral disorder is still present. This moral disorder is fundamental to human nature because sexuality is a fundamental part of human nature. Therefore, this disorder cannot be overlooked when evaluating candidates for the priesthood or religious life.

3. Priests must represent Christ.

Persons with a homosexual orientation cannot represent Christ as well as chaste heterosexual priests, because such persons do not have a chaste and properly-ordered sexuality, as Christ did. A priest is called upon to represent Christ, not only at the sacrifice of the Mass, but in his life and in his person. Those who do not closely represent Christ should not be ordained to the priesthood.

4. The faithful have right to have faithful ministers.

The faithful have a right to be ministered to by ordained men who are among the most faithful, chaste, pure, and holy men in the Church on earth. The faithful have a right to have ministers who are chaste in desire, thought, word, and deed. By definition, a homosexual priest has, at the very least, unchaste sinful thoughts and desires which are fundamentally more disordered than any sinful heterosexual thoughts and desires.

5. Homosexual sins are more serious than heterosexual sins.

Homosexual sins, even if only in thought or desire, are fundamentally more disordered than heterosexual sins. Homosexual sins are not equivalent to heterosexual sins. Heterosexuality has a proper place in God's plan; homosexuality does not. Homosexuality offends against the very order that God built into the human race, when He created them as male and female, and when he gave Eve to Adam as his wife.

6. The homosexual orientation tends towards heresy and schism.

The teachings of Christ on chastity and sexuality are endangered when homosexuals are ordained, because their orientation gives them an intrinsic tendency to doubt, diminish, undermine, and deny the teachings of the Church on homosexuality and on sexual ethics in general. The teaching of the Church on sexuality is in substantial conflict with their own desires, thoughts, and lives. Thus, homosexual priests often openly undermine, doubt, or deny various Church teachings on the subject of sexuality and gender. They also have a tendency to be angry or resentful at the Church for teaching against homosexuality; this anger and resentment leads to rebellion against other Church teachings and against Church discipline.

Many homosexuals are already heretics. They do not accept definitive Church teachings on the subject of sexuality and gender. Many are, in fact, in a state of heresy. Some have expressed this heresy in comments to the secular news media. Even if they retain this heresy internally, or express it only privately, they are not fit for ordination. Heretics are automatically excommunicated under Canon 1364.

It is already clear that many homosexual priests and seminarians, along with the leaders of some seminaries and the leaders of some religious orders, are willing to defy the will of the Pope and the discipline of the Church. If the Holy See orders that homosexuals not be admitted to the clergy or religious life, then intend to disobey. (Some have stated so openly to the news media.) This intent to defy the authority of the Pope, and of the body of Bishops led by the Pope, is itself the serious sin of schism. Under Canon 1364, schismatics are automatically excommunicated.

7. Examples teach better than words.

Permitting homosexuals to be ordained presents a bad example to the faithful, making it seem as if this orientation were not contrary to the will of God, and as if homosexual acts were no worse than heterosexual acts. The faithful are already endangered by the erroneous teachings of secular society on sexuality. Ordaining homosexual priests gives the impression that these teachings of modern society are the teaching of Christ. Allowing homosexuals to become members of the clergy or the religious life makes it seem as if homosexuality were no different than heterosexuality. Such is the erroneous teaching of sinful secular society. The bad example of treating homosexuality as if it were the same as heterosexuality harms the faithful grievously.

8. The ordination of homosexuals is contrary to Tradition.

Christ did not ordain homosexuals, nor has the Church, throughout its history, approved of the ordination of homosexuals. The Tradition of the Church has never treated homosexuality as if it were equivalent to heterosexuality, nor has the Tradition of the Church ever sought homosexuals for ordination. The body of Bishops led by the Pope, throughout the history of the Church, have never approved of, nor sought, homosexuals for ordination or the religious life.

9. The ordination of homosexuals is contrary to Scripture.

In both the Old and New Testaments, homosexuality is strongly condemned. The Israelites stoned to death any who committed such acts. They would certainly not have chosen persons with a homosexual orientation as Jewish priests or Levites. In the New Testament, St. Paul lists homosexuals as among those who are in grave danger of failing to reach eternal life. Clearly, Sacred Scripture does not present such persons as if they were fit for an ordained ministry or for the religious life. There is no support whatsoever in the Bible for the ordination of homosexuals, nor for giving them any positions of authority, teaching, or leadership in the Church.

10. The ordination of homosexuals is contrary to the will of the Pope.

The spiritual teaching authority of the Church, as well as its temporal authority, has repeatedly cautioned against ordaining persons who are unfit for priestly ministry, including homosexuals. No Pope has ever recommended homosexuals for ordination. Pope Benedict XVI is opposed to the ordination of homosexuals, as was his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. No man can claim to be a faithful priest, if he openly or secretly contradicts the will of the Pope.


by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
(October 7, 2005)