Sochi, Gay Rights and the Catholic Church
The Sochi Olympics like many Games that preceded it, is symbolic of human endurance and excellence, where thousands of athletes travel across the globe, to compete under the banner of their respective nations. While the Olympics are undoubtedly a showcase of individual pursuits of glory, the cultural significance of this event cannot and should never be underestimated. The Olympics could be described as a cataloged history of nations coming together under the five ‘interlocking’ rings, to collaborate and celebrate on a world stage. It is a chance to reflect on the differences and uniqueness of all those who attend, and to put aside the political, cultural and religious discontent that can often impose itself on the global community. Unfortunately for many of us, these games did not symbolize the progress we have made in this respect, but came to symbolize the morally reprehensible position of the Kremlin’s position on Homosexuality, and its authoritarian reaction to individual and groups who questioned the legitimacy of their laws. It also highlighted through the inaction of the global community, a sinister pervasiveness of homophobia throughout the world.
During one of the many debates that often ensue during my history class; the topic of homosexual rights was put to the class. What transpired from this debate was a series of thought provoking questions that inspired me to write this particular article. Upon conducting my own research it became apparent to me that the Catholic Church in particular played a large role in providing a platform for homophobia to exist. The Vatican even went so far as to claim that homosexuality was a ‘moral evil’ and that people who were afflicted by this were ‘disordered’.
The Catholic Church condemns homosexuality as a moral disorder that can be corrected according to the previous Pontiff, Joseph Ratzinger, through a devotion to faith. This has two implications, one is that homosexuality is wrong, and two, homosexuality is a disease that can be cured in the same manner as a mental illness. What is more concerning is the tendency of their leaders to use homophobic scripture from the Old Testament to justify their position. One does not need to be an authority on moral issues to point out the irony of quoting from the Old Testament passages from Leviticus to highlight moral and ethical behavior. One can only discredit their argument if they were to quote anything from the Old Testament when debating issues of morality, as the Old Testament can be seen as biblical doctrine that endorses the horrors of genocide, racism and slavery. However, the New Testament does not give homosexuals much relief either, especially if you are to read Romans 1: 26-27. It is passages like this that creates a platform for the Catholic hierarchy to behave in such a neurotic manner, when condemning the homosexual community as being in violation of “divine and natural law”.
The Catholic Church’s ‘sexual education programmes’, designed to cure homosexuals of their ‘illness’, demonstrates that the Church believe that their sexual disposition is not inherent, rather an immoral choice of lifestyle. Could a thinking person really believe this nonsense without some sort of embarrassment? Do the Catholic clergy really believe that people in places like Uganda and Saudi Arabia, where the penalty for homosexuality is life imprisonment, would choose to subject themselves to this sort of predicament? These programs only reinforce the discriminatory nature of the Catholic Church when considering the place of homosexuals in our society.
On the topic of same sex marriage, it is no shock that the Catholic Church is vehemently opposed to this legislation. In the U.S in 2012, Catholic organizations spent close to $2 Million in an attempt to oppose any legislative move to promote same sex marriage in the states of Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. In 2001, Pope John Paul II publicly denounced the Dutch government for implementing same sex marriage reform, while In Spain and Portugal, Catholic leaders led the opposition to same-sex marriage, urging their followers to vote against it or to refuse to implement the marriages should they become legal. In May 2010, during an official visit to Portugal four days before the ratification of the law, Pope Benedict XVI, affirmed his opposition by describing it as "insidious and dangerous". Many would argue that the current Pope is doing his best to rectify the discrimination towards homosexuals by stating “If someone who is gay and is sincerely seeking God who am I to judge?”. However, while is words are commendable, he has to date taken no action to implement reform within the Vatican. This I admit would be a drastic and difficult step as unlike other Christian denominations that seem to have unquestionable dogma on Monday that may become damnable heresy on Tuesday, the Catholic Church pride themselves on a strict adherence to tradition.
It is not surprising then that in this year the United Nation's Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern in a report about the Vatican’s past statements and declarations on homosexuality which it said "contribute to the social stigmatization of and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents and children raised by same sex couples". The Committee urged the Vatican to "make full use of its moral authority to condemn all forms of discrimination against children based on their sexual orientation or the sexual orientation of their parents, and to support efforts at international level for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
There is an argument, that sovereign states, including the Vatican, should have the autonomy to implement its own laws where it sees fit. And in the Russian case, most of the population indeed supports legislation that is fundamentally opposed to homosexual activity. It would be a dangerous proposition to suggest that other countries should enforce their own moral standards on other countries, purely because they felt that their position was more righteous. However, one must accept that we live in a global community and that it is our responsibility to champion the weak and vulnerable and speak out against the tyrants and autocrats who seek to undermine a free and equal society.