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Clergy de-links homosexuals from the act in Mumbai

A section of the clergy is taking a more sensitive view of homosexuality, and in a significant departure from its earlier stand, now considers the act, and the not the orientation, as immoral.

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A section of the clergy is taking a more sensitive view of homosexuality and, in a significant departure from its earlier stand, now considers the act, and not the orientation, immoral.

The Delhi high court had decriminalised section 377 of the IPC in August last year.

At the Goregaon seminary, where Christians are moulded into priesthood, at least “eight books are being introduced into the course, along with innumerable articles as reference material”, as the church now emphasises that it is the act that is wrong and not the person who is drawn towards homosexual behaviour.

“Though homosexuality cannot be put on the same footing as heterosexual and family values, the church will respect the dignity of homosexuals," said Father Stephen Fernandes, professor of ethics and moral theology and director of FIAMC biomedical ethics centre.

"While we make it clear that homosexual acts are objectively wrong and morally unacceptable, homosexuality as an orientation is not a sign of perversion but the expression of a condition, an inversion of psychological sense,” Fernandes, who teaches at the seminary, said.

The church now says that any kind of violence and hatred towards homosexuals is to be condemned.

The additional books that will be referred to in the priesthood course range from ethics, biomedics, Catholic biothesis, family ethics, and homosexuality, and will supplement books in the course on human sexuality that covers prenatal, non-marital sex and theology of sexuality.

Priests are exposed to these subjects in a graded manner in their eight years of learning.

“Through these books, we are trying to delve deeper into the subject," Fernandes said. "We want to understand the ‘why’ of this behaviour.

"It is difficult to assess whether the person is involved in it because of genetic, sexual or psychological factors or if he wilfully evolves into the act. Science has not reached a definitive conclusion and we do not know if it ever will.

"So we feel the dignity of the person should be maintained. However, homosexual acts are wrong as they violate the very purpose of human sexuality which is procreation and conjugal love of man and woman in marriage.”

Ashok Row Kavi, a homosexual rights activist, however, criticised the church’s approach. “How can they separate the activity from the person who performs it?" Row Kavi said. "This is a dichotomy and a clever method of throwing dust into people’s eyes. As far as I am concerned, it is homophobia to the core.”

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