Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop
of New York, has endorsed a campaign that calls on Roman Catholic gay
men and lesbians to live chaste lives.
Truth & Love is a campaign
organized by Courage & EnCourage International. On its website,
the campaign describes itself as “helping [gay men and lesbians] to
live chaste lives.”
“For decades, the Catholic Church has
been extending its outreach to men and women who experience same-sex
attraction, helping them to live chaste lives and to embrace their
identity as sons and daughters of God. Years of experience have
revealed the need for comprehensive formation for those directly
involved in this ministry; in addition, there are those seeking to
deepen their understanding of this complex issue which is a lived
reality for so many people,” Truth
& Love states on its about page.
In a press release, Dolan called the
site a “valuable tool.”
“I am pleased to introduce to you and
recommend [Truth & Love] as a valuable tool for anyone who wishes
to understand the host of theological and pastoral issues related to
the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality and those who
experience same-sex attraction,” wrote
Dolan.
Dolan also heads Courage
International's episcopal board.
Dolan, who delivered the opening
prayer, or invocation, at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration,
strongly opposed a marriage equality bill in New York that eventually
became law, calling same-sex
marriage “Orwellian social engineering.” He later
apologized, saying
that he loves the gay community.