Letter of the Day | Those in same sex-union need to be cared for

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing with reference to the news story titled, Backsliding Church in The Gleaner of December 19. The Vatican declaration titled, fiducia supplicans, issued by the dicastery (department/office) of the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the Pope, was tantamount to stirring up the hornets’ nest. The declaration deals with the pastoral meaning of various blessings in the Catholic tradition, some ritual, others for anyone at a moment’s notice. What is of paramount concern for Pope Francis are those members at the periphery of the Church: divorced and remarried couples caught in “bad marriages”, men and women not yet married, but living together (which is rife in Jamaica) as well as couples of same-sex union (not married). All such members cannot receive the Eucharist which is “the source and summit of the faith”. Nevertheless, the Church must minister to them. Hence, these differentiated blessings! One size doesn’t fit all situations.

The rapid and heated reactions from some of our protestant leaders, presumably all well-meaning, must be respected, though perhaps based on a wrong interpretation of the total text. Text out of context can surely be misleading. Pertinent, too, are the theological and pastoral differences in our various faith communities. For instance the Catholic understanding of the human person is such that even though he/she departs from aspects of the Christian faith, such people are still to be treasured as imago Dei (made in the image of God). Example of this is the so-called “black sheep” of a family which should still be loved by father and mother. The worst of criminals causing havoc in our society are still imago Dei, and our brothers and sisters, which for most Jamaicans is a hard pill to swallow.

Another theological and pastoral difference is the whole notion of salvation. While some believe in instant salvation (“accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, and you shall be saved”), the Catholic faith considers salvation through Jesus Christ as a process. Yes, we accept God’s free gift, but salvation is still a process until we die. St. Paul advises the Christian community at Philippi: “In fear and trembling work out your salvation”[2:12]. Both of these theological/pastoral positions might help those who are scandalised by the blessing of God’s children “where they are at the moment in their spiritual journey” to understand the blessing of individuals or couples.

The declaration, at all times, stresses the sanctity of holy matrimony that must be safeguarded, as well as the sacredness of sex between a man and a woman which, sad to say, is clouded by the prevailing notions of casual or contractual affairs without commitment. As a Christian nation we need to reclaim the sexual act in terms of the union of two committed loves in the service of life and for the good of society. Granted, this can never be achieved by those in same-sex union. Nevertheless, they need to be cared for as they “work out their salvation.”

Simply stated, the pastoral care of those outside the aforementioned ideal moral situations, must also be the concern of the Church in imitation of Jesus, our Founder and Saviour who mingled with those at the periphery of existence, from birth (smelly shepherds) to death (between two thieves) so as to include all of us, “that all may be one”[Jn. 17:21].

DONALD REECE

Archbishop Emeritus of

Kingston