Priest discusses Courage apostolate for those with same-sex attractions
September 04, 2013
In an interview with Catholic World Report, Father Paul Check reflects on the work of the Courage apostolate, which helps Catholics who experience same-sex attractions to live chastely.
“We have to want to live chastely, cheerfully, and joyfully,” said Father Check, who has led the apostolate since 2008. “The problem of pornography and the problem of contraception are things that are widespread within the Catholic community, including Mass-going Catholics … We cannot expect that other people are only going to do what we say they should do, such as, ‘Don’t marry someone of the same sex.’ We can hardly expect to be a compelling voice if we are not already convinced of the veracity of all that the Church teaches us, so we have to live that virtue cheerfully and joyfully. And if we do, other people will see it and be attracted to it.”
He added:
We have to return to that kind of thinking of the early Christians, knowing full well that the current culture will be hostile. It gives us a spirit of purpose. We know it will be hard. Chesterton said, “Christians go gaily into the dark.” Now maybe we have to change that to “Christians go cheerfully into the dark” because of the way that word has been distorted, but Chesterton was right. A down-faced, angry Christian fulminating at the world is not going to be a good instrument of evangelization. We need that trust and confidence in God that St. Thérèse had and showed us so magnificently. We need that now and to try to live it, and we can! God’s grace will make it possible.
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Posted by: unum -
Sep. 05, 2013 1:37 PM ET USA
I applaud Fr. Check for his stand which is counter to the culture. The Church has always preached chastity outside of heterosexual marriage, but its voice has gone silent in the U.S. Instead of USCCB politicians, we need bishops who will make sure that the teachings of the Church, including chastity, are preached in all of their parishes.
