Minister to persons experiencing same-sex attractions

Courage offers resources for research about homosexuality as well as help and support for priests who may be chaplains for Courage, who minister to those who deal with same-sex attractions, or who deal with same sex attractions themselves. Those seeking the latest Church teachings on the issue can find them here, as well other useful articles and essays.

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Here are answers to some questions that Courage website visitors often ask. If you have questions you would like answered, feel free to send them to us.

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Join Courageous Clergy

Membership allows for priests, seminarians, deacons, and brothers to enter into a spiritual fraternity and fellowship with others, to share in the spiritual benefits of Masses offered by priests in Courage, and to share information and resources with one another.

What will you say?

How will you respond, as a priest faithful to the magisterium, when someone confides in you that he or she is struggling with homosexuality? As a representative of Christ, you will want to respond with gentleness, patience, understanding, and fidelity to the truth.

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How do some priests respond when confronted with the issue of homosexuality? Some priests would counsel a man or woman seeking advice on dealing with same-sex attractions to "accept yourself for 'who you are' and find a steady lover - it's alright if you are in a committed relationship." Others would say: "Just try not to think about those kinds of things." Or they might say, "Get married - being with a person of the opposite sex will cure you." Some penitents have even been told, "Get out of my confessional," while other priests have thrown up their hands and said, "I don't know what to tell you about that." Then there are priests who will refer people to "gay and lesbian spirituality" groups, with little concern as to whether the spirituality and morality taught at these groups is authentically Catholic. How will you respond, as a priest faithful to the magisterium, when someone confides in you that he or she is struggling with homosexuality? As a representative of Christ, you will want to respond with gentleness, patience, understanding, and fidelity to the truth.

We invite priests like yourself, who are concerned about responding to this issue with compassion, love, and the full truth of the Church's teachings, to join Priests with Courage.

5 Goals of Courage

  1. Chastity
  2. Prayer and Dedication
  3. Fellowship
  4. Support
  5. Good Example/Role Model
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The Five Goals were created by the members themselves, when Courage was founded. The goals are read at the start of each meeting and each member is called to practice them in daily life. Here are the Goals in their entirety.

  1. To live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality. ( Chastity )
  2. To dedicate our entire lives to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. (Prayer and Dedication)
  3. To foster a spirit of fellowship in which we may share with one another our thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone. (Fellowship)
  4. To be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life; and to encourage one another in forming and sustaining these friendships. (Support)
  5. To live lives that may serve as good examples to others. (Good Example/Role Model)

Featured Articles for Clergy

We have obtained permission from the authors, as well as the magazines from which these materials originated, for copies to be made as part of a clergy study day.

Living the Truth in Love Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction

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Author: Janet E Smith and Fr. Paul Check

Published: August 2015

Approaching Homosexuality With ‘True Compassion,’ Not ‘Sentimentality’

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Published in: National Catholic Register

Author: PETER JESSERER SMITH

Published: 05/29/2015

Authentic Truth & Compassion

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Phony Matrimony Or What King Kamehameha II Teaches Us About the Last Marriage Taboo

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Published in: Touchstone

Author: Christopher Oleson

Published: March 2015

Seven Things I Wish My Pastor Knew About My Homosexuality

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Published in: Public Discourse - The Witherspoon Institute

Author: Jean Lloyd (within marriage)

Published: December 10, 2014

Recommended Reading by Fr. Paul Check

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Published in: Recommended Reading by Fr. Paul Check

Author: Fr. Paul Check

Against Heterosexuality

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Published in: First Things

Author: Michael W. Hannon

Published: March 2014

Do Homosexuals Exist? Or, Where Do We Go From Here?

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Published in: Faith and Fortitude

Author: Fr. Hugh Barbour

Published: August 1, 2013

Homosexual Inclination as an “Objective Disorder”: Reflections of Theological Anthropology

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Published in: Communio

Author: Livio Melina

Published: Spring 1998

In Conformity to Christ

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Published in: First Things

Author: Guy Mansini, O.S.B. and Lawrence J. Welch

Published: April 2006