The Pope

[Knoxville]

In the mid-1970s, the Catholic Church recognized the difference between being homosexual and engaging in homogenital (same-sex) acts. The Catholic Church holds that, as a state beyond a person's choice, being homosexual is not wrong or sinful in itself. But just as it is objectively wrong for unmarried heterosexuals to engage in sex, so too are homosexual acts considered to be wrong.

The Church also teaches understanding and compassion toward gay and lesbian people. In their 1976 statement, To Live in Christ Jesus, the American bishops wrote, "Some persons find themselves through no fault of their own to have a homosexual orientation. Homosexuals, like everyone else, should not suffer from prejudice against their basic human rights. They have a right to respect, friendship, and justice. They should have an active role in the Christian community.… The Christian community should provide them a special degree of pastoral understanding and care."

The "official statement" from the church back when this was a hotter issue, unfortunatly this won't have changed the catholic populations views on something that they have been taught to be un-natural and sinful for hundreds of years. In theory it relieves the church of all guilt from any homophobic abuse carried out by catholics, in reality it changes nothing.

[Stewart]

Once we are done with this, its time to start the 'Is it completely unacceptable for a figure as influential as the Pope to be condeming the use of condoms when millions of men, women and children are dieing worldwide from AIDS'.

Oh yes.

[Stewart]

Also did the Pope do enough to bring those Priests suspected of invovlement in child sex abuse to justice?

Loads of issues really. Will the next Pope have the same opinions? A reformer or another hardliner?

[Alex]

Knox, you know you've just opened a can of worms the size of a large can, chocked full of worms, don't you?

In today’s PC obsessed society, we have a massive group of people who are duty bound to be homophobes. Given the complete hysteria and reaction to the first sniff of racism these days, how can this be allowed to continue?

Homophobia is no more acceptable than racism, surely?

When are the anti-Catholic wristbands due out, by the way? As well as 'Lets kick racism out of football' how about 'Lets kick homophobia out of the church'?

Or is organised prejudice acceptable when done under the cover of religion?

Comments from homosexuals and Catholics welcome. (Please state which you are )

I am neither homophobic, catholic, or homosexual, but as I understand the catholic viewpoint a litte I shall attempt to clarify their beliefs, some of which I share and some of which I don't.

First, the catholic church is very clear on the fact that it doesn't hate homosexuals, just the physical act of homosexual sex. If you believe that sex is only for marriage, and that two men can't be married, then it seems logical that you think homosexual sex is wrong. No more wrong than any other extra-marital sex.

Second, is it OK, even if the catholic church were to be homophobic, which it isn't, to say that you would respond by being prejudiced against them? Do you really think it would be OK to have anti-catholic wrist-bands? Can you imagine if anti-gay ones came out? Why is there a difference? I don't see why an anti-religious prejudice is any different to racism, fundamentally.

'Lets kick homophobia out of the church' wristbands are actually a great idea, and I think that anyone in a church with his/her head screwed on would agree with you. There are in fact openly gay bishops, who just don't practice the act of gay sex, as they believe that is wrong. Homophobia in the church is just something that really isn't there, its just people taking quotes out of context and blowing it out of all proportion.

As to the AIDS thing, sure, the pope's stance on contraception probably didn't help things in Africa, but at the same time I really don't think his stance would have made much difference to the way people out there acted. Most of the people have never heard of contraception, never mind think that its wrong, and thats where the problem really lies.