A PRIEST WHO used the term “intrinsically disordered” when talking about gay people never meant to offend anyone, his order has claimed.
However, a gay parishioner says that the whole homily, read on the weekend of the Dublin Pride festival was “disgraceful”.
The sermon was read at mass at the end of June in St Saviour’s Priory on Dublin’s Dorset Street.
Quoting from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was published by Pope John Paul II, Dominican priest Fr Terrence Crotty said that gay people are “intrinsically disordered”.
The lines from the Catechism say:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
Patrick Donovan, a gay member of the congregation, said that he was left angered by the homily.
“He went to great lengths to explain how intrinsically disordered gay people are,” he told TheJournal.ie.
Here we are after the referendum and he felt compelled to give this particular homily. It was degrading and demeaning. I had every intention of confronting him after mass, but he had elderly parishioners with him, so I left it.
Patrick then wrote letters to both the Archbishop of Dublin and Provincial of the Irish Dominican Order. He was offered a meeting with the priest, but said he doesn’t see what it would achieve.
“For me, an intrinsically biased and prejudiced man cannot be allowed rant about his own grievances. He tried to make out that being gay was a lifestyle choice. He chose that topic and homily on that day.
[When I was younger] I was very lucky with my family and friends, but I was worried that some young guy or girl would be battling to come to terms with themselves in that church.
A spokesperson for the order told TheJournal.ie that Fr Crotty never meant to offend.
It is a term that some theologians use, but it does not mean that anyone’s life is disordered. I have spoken to the priest and he would be very saddened that anybody would be offended.
That, however, is not enough for Patrick, but he won’t walk away from the church.
“How he can’t see he was offensive is beyond me.
“There are so many good people in the church, so one biased or prejudiced man won’t take away from me. The church is the people, not the people in authority.”
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