By 
An influential Catholic ministry that walks with those experiencing same-sex attraction said a Vatican report that criticized its work was guilty of a “false and unjust depiction” of the decades-old apostolate.
Courage International said in a May 8 press release that the Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod was guilty of “calumny” against the group when it published an annex to a final report of a synodal study group on May 5.
That report, titled “Theological Criteria and Synodal Methodologies for Shared Discernment of Emerging Doctrinal, Pastoral, and Ethical Issues,” included testimonies from two men in putative civil “marriages,” one of whom attended Courage meetings in the past.
Since the early 1980s Courage has been offering ministry to men and women who experience attraction to the same sex. The testimony offered by the unnamed man in the synodal report alleged that the Courage meetings he attended were “secretive and hidden” while the people in it were “lonely, hopeless, and often depressed.”
In its response on May 8, Courage said it considered the report “to be both calumny and detraction against the organization and its members.”
The group said it disputed the implication that it engages in “reparative therapy” for homosexual attraction. It further said the synod was “unjust” in its presentation of Courage meetings.
The report “characterizes the meetings [the man] attended as ‘secretive and hidden.’ Courage members understand those meetings to be confidential and secure — precisely so that they can speak candidly and vulnerably without fear of someone reporting about them,” the statement said.
The statement acknowledged that those suffering from same-sex attraction are indeed often “lonely, hopeless, and depressed,” but it argued that Courage “bring[s] them together for support and insist[s] on the confidentiality that enables them to speak freely about their struggles.”
“Courage has suffered calumny and detraction before, but usually from secular outlets,” the group said. “It is a great sadness and an additional wound to our members to have this false and unjust depiction in a Vatican document.”
The statement invited synod officials to meet with group leaders to learn more about the ministry.
The Connecticut-based organization traces its earliest roots to an effort started by New York archbishop Cardinal Terence Cooke, who in 1978 conceived of a same-sex attraction ministry and asked Father John Harvey, OSFS, to lead the effort.
Harvey, who died in 2010, authored the 1979 pamphlet “A Spiritual Plan to Redirect One’s Life,” offering a program for “homosexually-oriented persons” to “achieve a chaste, productive, and happy life.”
The apostolate held its first official meeting the following year on Sept. 26 at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Manhattan.
Father Brian Gannon, the executive director of Courage, told EWTN News on the occasion of the groupʼs 45th anniversary that its members “want to follow exactly what the Church is teaching.”
“The secular world has a twisted view of sexuality,” he said. “This is such a needed ministry. It helps people find peace.”
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Once again, EWTN News gets their article headings wrong. Their wording of titles betrays either literary sloppiness or leftist bias. In this case, their title reads: “U.S. same-sex ministry group…”
Courage is NOT a same-sex ministry group. It is a support group for individuals who recognize a disordered attachment. If EWTN News doesn’t get the distinction, they should retun their quills to the ink-wells and turn off the light behind them.
I see your point and sympathize with it. It’s an ambiguous headline, for better (probably not) or worse.
That said, the Courage apostolate’s site does state: “A Roman Catholic apostolate for men and women who experience same-sex attractions and those who love them.”
I would say, then, that Courage’s own characterization of their ministry agrees with what I’ve written. The operative word is “attraction.”
I hate to sound so prickly about subtleties of difference but you know as well as I that there is an ongoing effort in our Church to erode Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality. It all began with small, seemingly insignificant changes. And now we have the Synod of Bishops normalizing the sin of active homosexuality.
The rejection of Humanae Vitae by laity and clergy alike was not insignificant.
By suspecting a possible “leftist bias” you give too much credit. Instead, just another bureaucracy where the front office just moves things along without any real quality control, not unlike runaway-train Synodality where even the accountability of the Apostollic Succession is commandeered “primarily as facilitators.”
Stupid is as stupid does.
Deacon. EWTN, leftist bias? Are we going after them already? What’s to gain?
Br.Jaques: need I bother to respond to your quip?
EWTN, leftist bias?
“either literary sloppiness or leftist bias.”
Two possibilities. Reading is fun!
I do not see Deacon “going after them.” Rather, the Deacon is refusing to go along with stupidity, leftist bias, progressive thoughtlessness, or worse. Just as The Word matters, so do our words.
Merion. Words matter… “Going after them” favors isolation, not inclusion in the faith. Your wording might cause a backlash. Beware of DEI advocates.
Pray for those who promote isolation.
Words matter all right. And “going after them” does not in any way imply “isolation.”
My question would be, if the report is true, why ANYONE would continue to attend the meetings of a group in which everyone was “lonely, hopeless and depressed”? My supposition is, they would not. It which point the group would close up shop. If the group IS helping some people ( and its been around long enough to suppose it has), then why the push to actively make them look bad?? If the church puts it’s seal of approval on homosexuality, the number of those fleeing the church will make Vatican II look like nothing.
“If the group IS helping some people ( and its been around long enough to suppose it has), then why the push to actively make them look bad??”
Let’s ask a certain corpulent German Cardinal.
Because non-Catholic Catholics revel in impressing their leftist counterparts.
Perhaps because lonely and depressed people need companionship and comfort. An awful lot of people at meetings of AA and similar groups are lonely and depressed.
steveb: I don’t know how many AA meetings you’ve attended but in my day I’ve attended quite a few. I’ve often remarked that I’ve seldom seen a more gregarious and joyful groups of souls. (BTW, have you seen Catholics exiting from Mass? I’ve remarked in the past that I never saw a more joyless group.)
Instead of joy, the hugs, handshakes, and PeaceKisses have given nothing more than the heebie-jeebies?
I think in AA meetings the goal isn’t perennial loneliness and depression. At least according to the folks I know in AA.
It’s time to admit it.
The leadership of the Catholic Church is perverse, heretical and corrupt.
They “have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity” (Eph. 4:19).
I haven’t contributed to Peter’s Pence or any other Vatican fundraiser for many years.
And the problem just keeps getting worse.
Brineyman. A rather strong condemnation in which you broadbrush the entire group of our Church leaders. No acknowledgment of the many good things they have contributed. So sad to look only on the negative and to assume that they are incapable of doing good. Are there no good ones among them? In my experience every group is constituted of a variety of individuals of vastly different talents and attributes. You also seem to imply that they are morally corrupt as a group.
Well, where are the “good ones” when it comes to taking a clear and courageous stand against those who are spreading lies and defending sin? Good people don’t stay silent.
I saw a video last night of a young priest (6 years ordained, so maybe late 20’s early 30’s) in Poland who urged this one Bishop not to take on the post of Bishop of Krakow due to his (the bishops) support for progressive ideas. The priest’s superiors banned him from ever talking to the media again.
.
It seems to me the oath of obedience that the clergy must take is weaponized against the faithful.
James Connor: Name one high prelate in the past 13 years who said anything good about chastity.
“You will know them by their fruit!” Or, lack thereof!
Brineyman, you’d appreciate this –
https://pillarsoffaith.net/podcasts/athanasius-against-the-world/
Mike
Here! Here!
Our pastor (we have five priests in our large parish) leads a local Courage chapter. When I was in RCIA classes four years ago and grappling with my understanding of the Church’s teachings on interaction with homosexuals, my pastor and I had a long conversation. I still don’t completely understand why I shouldn’t attend a “gay” wedding (I know, I know, it gives scandal), but I assure you, Fr. Scalia must be the most sympatric and truly God-loving, healing soul one could speak with. He has so much empathy for all his sheep, regardless of our lost ways. If he is representative of the priests who work for those in the Courage program, the people participating, they have more that hope, they experience the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can lie with our words, but we can also lie with our actions. Gay “weddings” don’t have anything remotely related to marriage happening, but they pretend to, and those who attend at the very least *appear* to agree with the claim that it is a marriage. They also appear to be considering it a good thing, when it is a serious evil, grave enough to cause spiritual death. Unless you attend in funeral garb with protest signs, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries for the repentance of those involved, it is very hard to make your appearance match the reality. But that seems like it would typically do more harm than good, so not attending is a better idea.
The thing about lies, including and perhaps especially those done with actions rather than words, is that they change the thinking of the liar as well as those who hear/see it, and disorder how we relate to God, other people, the world, and ourselves.
I am so glad to hear about your pastor! We need to talk more about the good that priests do.
Without wanting to be overly repetitive; GOD’s opinion about this might be related, I’d hope.
Catholic truth, given us by our Beloved Jesus Christ & His Apostles. For example Ephesians 5:5 makes matters plain:
“Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person . . . has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of GOD.”
Catholics have always understood the great goodness of sexual relations mutually enjoyed as part of GOD’s prescription for the fullness of Catholic monogamous marriage between a man and a woman.
Among Catholics everywhere, Fornication, Adultery, & Homosexuality, etc. have always been known as mortal sins that separate us from GOD; and permanently so, if those sins are not remorsefully confessed, repented of, abjured, and absolved by Christ.
Of course satan, the enemy of humankind, opposes GOD’s commands.
As The LORD told Cain (Genesis 4:7b, at the start of our Bible):
“Sin is at your door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master.” A teaching that is repeated all through our Bible & made plain towards the end in 1 John 3:8 –
“To lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the devil has done that The Son of GOD appeared.”
Both lay & clerical Catholics (especially our Pope & Curia) are supposed to be well-taught about the sanctity of holy matrimony – itself a sacrament.
Just as sexual relations outside lawful matrimony are a desecration.
Be certain: sexual purity & faithfulness are mandatory for those seeking The Kingdom of GOD.
Just as sexual impurity and unfaithfulness are mandated among all occultists like New Agers, Freemasons, Satanists, Pagans, Witches, Marxists, & others who (knowingly or unknowingly) serve the prince of this world. They are deceived into the believe that such promiscuities make them of a “higher quality”.
There are several billion Christians today, most of us take seriously the instructions of King Jesus Christ; such as:
“And Jesus said: ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles, for it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, greedy avarice, malicious wickedness, lying deceit, indecent licentious sexual sins, the evil eye of envy, slander, arrogant pride, stupid behaviour. All these evils come from within and make a person polluted.’”
Personally, I fail to see why any (even half-educated) Catholic could have the slightest confusion about what GOD requires of us.
“Personally, I fail to see why any (even half-educated) Catholic could have the slightest confusion about what GOD requires of us.”
.
Contraception. The People of God largely rejected that little bit a natural law nearly 60 years ago.
You’ve never witnessed anyone lying to himself about his sin not being sinful???? It only happens billions of times a day.
Good point, dear Edward J Baker; sadly the truth.
But one still finds it a puzzle to explain why the confusion.
My best hyothesis is far too many fit Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 –
“For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accululate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.”
Amazing (not) that the Vatican would denigrate a long standing Catholic organization. This clearly shows who is in control of this Synod thing. Long may it fail.
By now, isn’t it abundantly clear that this entire synodal process is and always has been nothing but a propaganda tool to conform the Church to the world? As parody, their torturously worded documents would be hysterical; unfortunately, they’re meant seriously. Courage has reason to be outraged. I wonder if LXIV will be photographed with members of its leaders. Somehow I doubt it. (May the good Lord prove me wrong!)
Well, he is the first Pope to meet with them, so there’s reason to hope that you’ll be proven wrong.
Thanks for the information! Sometimes being proven wrong is a relief.
To meet with them and then tolerate their persecution is not so hopeful.
I recall a papal meeting two or three months ago reported at CWR.
A meeting with Courage.
Thanks for your reply. I hadn’t recalled that meeting and am grateful to be reminded.
The “Synod” characters are homo-sophisticates, and sodomy is their sacrament.
So much fuss about the experience of one man!
EWTN article author Payne redeems his misleading heading [Deacon Peitler deftly addresses it above] in the article highlighting the important, faithful work done by Courage “to follow exactly what the Church is teaching”.
Payne was putatively guilty for click baiting [maybe the article deserved being drawn attention to since many of us may have passed it by]. On the digital sin barometer it rates no more than a mild venial sin. One hail Mary will do.
Dr Martin James Rice – You have certainly hit the nail on the head! Thank you and may God continue to bless you.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a]
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. AND SAINT AUGUSTINE:
“Those sins which are against nature, like those of the men of Sodom, are in all times and places to be detested and punished. Even if all nations committed such sins, they should all alike be held guilty by God’s law” (Confessions 3.8).
Courage International appear to have the virtue of fortitude apparently lacking in the synodal ‘shepherds’.
And the Faith, Hope and Charity for the Lord.
But where is the sense of papal urgency and concern for the many souls distracted by endless heterodoxy?
Dear Leo Flanagan: “But where is the sense of papal urgency and concern for the many souls distracted by endless heterodoxy?”
Maybe there is a lack of St Peter’s, Christ-given shepherd’s heart to: “Feed My lambs; look after My sheep; feed My sheep.”
Their preference seems to be to swann-around the world giving half-baked advice to all; meanwhile, ‘back at the ranch’ doctrinal chaos flourishes.
The Pope’s primary obligation is to care for the flock of King Jesus Christ.
It’s heretical to claim that every human is in that flock. John 10:27-30 makes it perfectly plain that Jesus’ flock is solely comprised of those who pay attention to His words so as to follow Him and be known by Him.
Of course we care about everyone but not everyone is in the flock of Jesus.
Currently, the flock is in a terrible condition, largely due to papal, curial, and clerical hubristic lassitude & gross neglect.
There will be hell to pay.
I read somewhere that Pope Leo XIV claimed the Church was “synodal”. Uh-oh.