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Catholic World News News Feature

Boston archbishop raps discrimination against homosexuals November 25, 2005

Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston has urged Catholics to "strive to eradicate prejudices against people with a homosexual orientation."

In a November 23 letter to all the parishes of the Boston archdiocese, the archbishop wrote that Catholic opposition to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts has led some people to conclude that the Church is hostile toward homosexuals. His letter was intended to dispel that misconception, he said.

"The Church's position is not based on an animus against people with a homosexual orientation," Archbishop O'Malley wrote. He added: "Many homosexual persons in our Church lead holy lives and make an outstanding contribution to the life of the Church by their service, generosity and the sharing of their spiritual gifts." While warning against prejudice, the archbishop insisted that Church leaders must continue to preach the truth about human sexuality. "If we tell people that sex outside of marriage is not a sin, we are deceiving people," he wrote. "If they believe this untruth, a life of virtue becomes all but impossible." But the archbishop cautioned priests that they should "never deliver the message in a self-righteous way, but rather with compassion and humility.