“Who Am I to Judge?” “Who Am I to Judge?” Homosexuality and the Catholic Church Edited by Stephan Goertz Translated by Alissa Jones Nelson ISBN 978-3-11-070502-7 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-070518-8 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-070525-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2021943329 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Cover image: Nacho Caballero / iStock / Getty Images Plus (Rainbow); franckreporter / iStock / Getty Images Plus (St. Peter, Rom) Title of the original publication: “Wer bin ich, ihn zu verurteilen?“ Homosexualität und katholische Kirche, edited by Stephan Goertz © 2015 Verlag Herder GmbH, Freiburg im Breisgau Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com Table of Contents Stephan Goertz “Who Am I to Judge?” An Overview of the Context and the Themes of the Contributions 1 Exegetical Substantiation Thomas Hieke Does the Old Testament Recognize and Condemn Homosexuality? 9 Michael Theobald Paul and Same-Sex Sexuality A Plea for a Sensible Approach to Scripture 43 Insights from the Human and Social Sciences Hartmut A. G. Bosinski A Normal Variance of the Human Capacity for Bonding and Love Homosexuality from the Perspective of Sexual Medicine 75 Melanie Caroline Steffens and Claudia Niedlich Homosexuality Between Acceptance and Discrimination A Social-Science Perspective 113 Theological and Ethical Debates Magnus Striet Creation Theology and Concepts of Homosexuality 139 Stephan Goertz From the Primacy of Nature to the Primacy of Love Phases in the Assessment of Homosexuality in Moral Theology and the Roman Magisterium 151 VI TableofContents Todd A. Salzman and Michael G. Lawler Reconstructing Complementarity as a Foundational Catholic Sexual Ethical Principle 213 Socio-Ethical Challenges Konrad Hilpert Same-Sex Partnership and Marriage 235 Gerhard Marschütz Same-Sex Parenthood Theological and Ethical Reflections on a Contentious Debate 259 List of Contributors 287 Stephan Goertz “Who Am I to Judge?” An Overview of the Context and the Themes of the Contributions IntheliberalsocietiesoftheWest,theideaoftheuniversalityofcertaininalien- ablehumanrightshasledtoahistoricallyuniqueprocessofemancipatingsex- ual minorities and democratizing a variety of relationship structures. Globally, we see the ongoing decriminalization and depathologization of homosexuality, which began after World War II. While everyday discrimination is still wide- spread, it is increasingly losing its cultural legitimacy. At the same time, in some parts of the world, lesbian and gay people continue to face oppression and repression. IntheteachingandpracticeoftheCatholicChurch,however,same-sexsex- ualityremainsgroundsforexclusion.Magisteriumdocumentsdisapproveofho- mosexual relationships in principle. Since there is no analogy between such relationshipsandmarriagebetweenamanandawoman,theblessingofhomo- sexualunions is rejected as illicit,on the grounds that the Catholic Church has noauthoritytoalterGod’splans formen andwomen.¹Inessence,thedevalua- tionandexclusionofhomosexualityhingesontheconvictionthatsame-sexsex- ualityoperatesoutsidetheboundsofGod’sintendedorderofcreation.Thusfor Catholic moral teaching, homosexual orientation is and remains a problem. This consistently negative view of homosexuality means that many homo- sexuals do not experience the Catholic Church as a place where they feel that theirsexualorientationandpartnershipsareacceptedortheiridentityisrecog- nized. The Church explicitly opposes discrimination against homosexuals be- causethisviolatestheirdignityaspersons.Atthesametime,however,itdenies themtheopportunitytopracticetheirsexualityresponsiblyandlovingly.Church teachinghasbeencaughtinthisdichotomyeversince1986,whentheCongrega- tionfortheDoctrineoftheFaithinRomefirstaddressedthequestionofhomo- sexuality in greater detail.²  CongregationfortheDoctrineoftheFaith,“Responsumtoadubiumregardingtheblessingof the unions of persons of the same sex” (February 22, 2021)”, http://www.vatican.va/roman_ curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20210222_responsum-dubium-un ioni_en.html(accessedMay21,2021).  CongregationfortheDoctrineoftheFaith,“LettertotheBishopsoftheCatholicChurchon the Pastoral Care for Homosexual Persons. Homosexualis problema,” AAS 79 (1987):543–554. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110705188-001 2 StephanGoertz The evaluation of homosexuality and homosexual partnerships is develop- ing into a crucial test for the Catholic Church, as has also been the case in otherChristianchurchesanddenominations.³Forsome,thenegativeevaluation ofhomosexualityisanecessaryconsequenceofchurchtradition;forothers,itis aanoutrageagainstChristianprinciplesofjustice.Theissueofthetreatmentof sexualminoritiesalienatesmanybelieversfromtheirChurch.Thisisnotsimply a Western issue, as is often assumed. Lesbian and gay people are also fighting for theiremancipation andtheir rights forexample in Africa and in many East- ernEuropeancountries.Weshouldbeginbyattendingtotheirexperiences,and we should not simply be satisfied with the statement that homosexuality is in- compatible with certain cultures or religious traditions.⁴ Tradition should not be sacred to us for its own sake, but the human person, human dignity, and human rights should be. Thepresentvolumeisenvisionedasacontributiontotheongoingself-reflec- tion on the Catholic view of homosexuality.This effort can only succeed if we face up tothe prejudices inherent in the classical Catholicevaluation of homo- sexuality,opening this perspective to interrogation from a human sciences per- spective aswell as totheological criticism. In 2013, afterdecades of gridlock in thisarea,PopeFrancisraisedhopesforanewCatholicattitudetowardhomosex- uals with just a few sentences. In an interview,the pontiff said: InBuenosAiresIreceivedlettersfromhomosexualpersonswhoare“sociallywounded” becausetheyalwaysfeelcondemnedbytheChurch.ButtheChurchdoesnotwantthat. OntheflightbackfromRiodeJaneiro,Isaidthatifahomosexualpersonhasgoodwill andseeksGod,Iamnottheonetojudgehim.Inthisway,IsaidwhatiswrittenintheCat- echism.[…]Godhassetusfreeincreation:theremustbenospiritualinterferenceinper- sonallife.⁵ Doesthisindicatealearningcurve–ashiftfromthe“castingoff”wayofthink- ingtothe“reinstating”wayofthinking,whichFrancishasspokenofsoforceful-  Cf. Jeffrey S. Siker, ed., Homosexuality and Religion. An Encyclopedia (Westport/London: GreenwoodPublishingGroup,2007).  See,forexample,MakauMutua,“SexualOrientationandHumanRights:PuttingHomopho- bia on Trial,” in African Sexualities. A Reader,ed.Sylvia Tamale (Nairobi/Cape Town/Oxford: PambazukaPress,2011),452–462.  Antonio Spadaro, Das Interview mit Papst Franziskus, ed. Andreas R. Batlogg (Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 2013),49–50.The precise wordswhich the Pope spoke on the return flight from Brazil on July 28, 2013 were: “If someone isgay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him (ma chi sono io per giudicarla)?” See http://www.vat ican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2013/july/documents/papa-francesco_20130728_gmg- conferenza-stampa.html(accessedMarch22,2021). “WhoAmItoJudge?” 3 ly?⁶Atthesametime–andthisiswhatmakeshisstatementabouttheCatholic positionsodifficult–thePope,asa“sonoftheChurch”⁷,repeatedlyreferstothe Catechism, in which the condemnation of homosexual behavior stands along- sidethecriticismofdiscrimination.Shouldthehomosexualpersonbeprotected frommoraldisgrace(“WhoamItojudgehim?”),whiletheirsexualityandrela- tionshipsarenot?Afterall,despitetheCatechism’sassertiontothecontrary,do wenot see the olddiscriminatoryprejudicesagainst homosexuals’ moralinteg- ritylurkingbehindtheVatican’sreservationsregardingtheordinationofhomo- sexualcandidatesforthepriesthood?⁸Violenceagainsthomosexualpeoplehas many faces. It can also be symbolic, denying them the opportunity to live out their sexuality in a humane manner. The “casting off” way of thinking will not change as longas the Church’s moralteachingcontinues toview homosex- ualbehaviorassin.Atthepresentmoment,itisimpossibletoknowwhetheror not the Catholic Church will revise its teaching on this point.This assessment, given in the German-language first edition of this volume, is stillvalid.⁹ Forallthecontroversyoverthemoralevaluationofhomosexuality,wemay beabletoestablishatheologicalconsensusontheprinciplesthatcouldleadus toanethicallyjustifiedposition. Iwouldliketomentionthefollowingsixprin- ciples, and at the same time tobriefly introduce the contributions in thisbook. First, according to the wishes of the most recent Council, the Bible – “the soulofalltheology”¹⁰–shouldtakeitsrightful,primaryplaceinmoraltheology. Thisisnottobeunderstoodasacallforadirectbiblicaljustificationofoureth- ics.Moralnormsmustbejustifiedonthebasisofhumanreason.Christianethics isconfrontedwiththequestionofwhetherhistoricallydevelopedandtime-test- edmoralstandardscanbebiblicallysupported(notjustified!).Toputitsuccinct-  HolyMasswiththeNewCardinals,HomilyofHisHolinessPopeFrancis,VaticanBasilica,Feb- ruary 15, 2015, http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa- francesco_20150215_omelia-nuovi-cardinali.html(accessedMarch22,2021).  AntonioSpadaro,DasInterviewmitPapstFranziskus,51.  CongregationfortheClergy,TheGiftofthePriestlyVocation:RatioFundamentalisInstitutionis Sacerdotalis (Rome: Vatican, 2016), nos. 199–201, http://www.clerus.va/content/dam/clerus/ Ratio%20Fundamentalis/The%20Gift%20of%20the%20Priestly%20Vocation.pdf(accessedApril 21,2021).  StephanGoertz,ed.,“Werbinich,ihnzuverurteilen?”HomosexualitätundkatholischeKirche (KatholizismusimUmbruch3;FreiburgimBreisgau:Herder,2015).  Second Vatican Council, Decree on Priestly Training: Optatam totius (Rome:Vatican,1965), no. 16, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_ 19651028_optatam-totius_en.html(accessedApril21,2021). 4 StephanGoertz ly: it is not the Bible that interprets morality, but morality that interprets the Bible.¹¹ The Old and New Testament biblical passages that are often used as the ground upon which to condemn homosexuality must be examined exegetically priortoanyethicalcritique(seethecontributionsbyThomasHiekeandMichael Theobald).ItispreciselythehightheologicalesteeminwhichweholdScripture that requires us to approach the texts with hermeneutical care. In doing so, it becomes apparent that the biblical authors, while condemning certain same- sex sexual acts from their respective points of view and in confrontation with theirculturalandreligiousenvironments,arebynomeansgenerallyconcerned withhomosexualityasweunderstandittoday.Theexegeticaldeconstructionof the idea that theBible unequivocallycondemnshomosexualityhas a liberating effectontheChristianapproachtosexualminorities.Ananalysisoftheconcepts ofpurityevidentinthebookofLeviticus,thenarrativeofSodom,andtheLetter totheRomansshowsthatthesesometimesdrasticbiblicalcondemnationscan- not constitute a sufficient basis for a present-day evaluation of homosexuality. This insight is not fundamentally new¹²,but it is still often ignored today. Second, in making any ethical judgment, the Catholic Church expects that the earthly realities God created should be appreciated in their own right, “with their own stability, truth, [and] goodness.”¹³ The “rightful independence of science” must be respected.¹⁴ This also applies to the understanding of what has been called homosexuality for almost one hundred and fifty years. ACatholicsexology wouldthereforecontradict the Catholic self-understanding. Therefore,this volume gives expert voices from sexual medicine and the social sciencestheirsay.Ontheonehand,theseexpertsdemonstratethathomosexual- ityshouldbeunderstoodasavariantofsexualorientationandrelationalcapaci- ty(seeHartmutBosinski’scontribution),andontheotherhand,theyshowthat social evaluations of homosexuality still oscillate between discrimination and acceptance (see Melanie Caroline Steffens and Claudia Niedlich’s contribution). Religious convictions play a significant role in these processes.  Cf.ChristofBreitsameterandStephanGoertz,eds.,BibelundMoral–ethischeundexegeti- scheZugänge(JahrbuchfürMoraltheologie2;FreiburgimBreisgau:Herder,2018).  Cf.HermanvandeSpijker,DiegleichgeschlechtlicheZuneigung(FreiburgimBreisgau:Walter- Verlag,1968);MarttiNissinen,HomoeroticisminthebiblicalWorld:AHistoricalPerspective(Min- neapolis:Fortress,1998).  SecondVaticanCouncil,PastoralConstitutionontheChurchintheModernWorld:Gaudiumet spes (Rome: Vatican, 1965), no. 36, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_ council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html(accessedApril21,2021).  Ibid.