How do I understand the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality? How do I live them out? Is it possible to be gay and Catholic? Why do some Catholics use the term “same-sex attraction”?
At twenty-one, Christopher started writing on Catholicism and sexuality. A year later, that work expanded when he came out as gay, and over the next few years he explored through writing what it means to be gay and Catholic, grappling with Church teaching and history. This book is a collection of that work, his public writings from when he was about twenty-one until a sort of second coming out, at twenty-five.
Can you be gay and Catholic? And even if you can, can you be a gay Catholic committed to Church teaching? What does the Catholic Church teach about homosexuality? Why does it sound so terrible to gay people? And can it be lived, or even communicated, in a way that isn’t so terrible? In this second volume of writings, Chris continues seeking ways to make sense of his faith and sexuality, working through questions of doctrine, dating, community, and friendship…
I should clarify that I am not writing with magisterial authority on any of these subjects. I am not your bishop, or the pope, or even a member of a Vatican advisory committee. I am just writing based on my experience and knowledge of Church teaching, history, and tradition. I do believe that my opinions are well-informed, but I also know that, as one individual living in one particular time and place in history, my views are limited. So don’t treat my views as the end-all-be-all Catholic truth. Don’t treat them as the teachings of the Catholic Church. Treat them as the explorations of someone trying to understand how those teachings relate to his life. Treat them as the explorations of someone who genuinely wants to understand and live out what it means to be Catholic. There are probably many things about which I am wrong. But there may be some things about which I am right.
Chris Damian 