Members if the LGBT community take part in the annual Pink Dot event in Singapore (Picture: Lawrence Wee / Shutterstock.com)
The head of Singapore's Catholic Church yesterday apologized for any insensitivity conveyed in his public statement last month on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issue, noting the strong reaction to the Church’s official position on the family.
In a letter published on the Catholic Church’s website and addressed to “Catholics with same-sex orientation”, Archbishop William Goh said: “The Church does not disapprove of a loving relationship between same-sex individuals that is chaste and faithful but (of) a sexual relationship between same-sex individuals as it is not in accordance with the divine plan of God.”
He added that he has tasked the Catholic Medical Guild and the Family Life Commission to set up a pastoral group — which is currently being formed — for those with same-sex orientation to “journey together in faith, in support of one another, so as to live out God’s call to chastity”.
But he reiterated that same-sex union where a gay couple adopt children and bring them up in “an environment where a partner of the other gender is not represented ... would ultimately be destructive to society and detrimental to the world and future generations”.
On June 21, the church’s website ran a message by Archbishop Goh in which he reiterated the Church’s view that the basic building block of society is the family, comprising a father, mother and children. He also said the LGBT lifestyle was “detrimental to society, is not helpful to integral human development and contrary to Christian views”.
A few days later, Dr Vincent Wijeysingha, a civil activist, criticized the statement, saying it was entirely at odds with the teachings of the church government at the Vatican.
In his latest message, Archbishop Goh did not refer to Dr Wijeysingha’s comments, but noted that a number of gay Catholics have reacted strongly to his earlier statement.
“You have expressed hurt, anger and disappointment that the Church, like the rest of society, seemed to ostracize you and showed inconsistency in her preaching of compassion, by not approving of your freedom to love,” he said.
“I apologize if my initial statement conveyed insensitivity", he added.
Full Story: Catholic Archbishop apologises for insensitivity in statement on LGBT issue
Source: TODAY