Put Out into the Deep
Oct 15 2024
This week, we will share a little bit of the origin story of Building Catholic Journeys, BCF’s workshop and retreat resources for those who mentor and accompany LGBT+ people. And since last Friday was Coming Out Day, we share advice from a friend.
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Coming Out, the Catechism,
and Flowering Futures
Gay Catholics know well the three paragraphs in the Catechism that constitute a little subsection titled Chastity and Homosexuality. There’s the discussion of “homosexual acts” in paragraph 2357, the need to avoid “unjust discrimination” in 2358, and the virtues and grace that assist us to “approach Christian perfection” in 2359.
Less well-known are two subsections that precede those paragraphs. These are titled The Integrity of the Person (paragraphs 2358-2345) and The Integrality of the Gift of Self (2346-2347). A friend of Building Catholic Futures mentioned these sections to us and suggested that they would be a fitting read for National Coming Out Day.
The section begins by noting that sexual integrity, right use of our powers of life and love, “tolerates neither a double life nor duplicity in speech” (paragraph 2338). The nine paragraphs that follow enumerate the ways that integrity builds on this honesty: self-mastery, laws of growth, cultural respect for the human person, grace, charity, and – finally – friendship as the “blossom” that is revealed (paragraph 2347).
We know that for some people, remaining in the closet is not duplicity, but is necessary for safety in times when coming out is dangerous. And for all of us, there are situations in which coming out can be imprudent or unwise. However, the Catechism reminds us why coming out has been so important to gay people.
Coming out is an act of honesty. It commits a person to grow in virtue. It reveals not a human person; it signals hope in the future.
Futures Webinar
Reminder! On Saturday, October 26 at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern time, we’ll host a webinar to introduce our Futures Resources for those who have young people under their care, explain the thinking behind them, and explore ways you can bring BCF’s work to your local communities. If you’re interested, click Event Registration to sign up.
Thank You!
Thanks to our many subscribers, donors, and friends!
If you know others who should hear about our mission, please share this newsletter and invite them to click Building Catholic Futures and fill out the Keep in Touch form to receive updates from us.
To learn more about our work and how you can help, you can send us a quick note via the Contact Us page or the Donate to BCF form at BuildingCatholic.org.
And please pray for Building Catholic Futures’ work to equip Catholic professionals with the confidence to signal hope to gay people of all ages. How can we pray for you?
Duc in altum! Put out into the deep!
Eve and Keith