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Why Men Like Me Should Not Be Priests

Daniel Mattson

I am the sort of man the Catholic Church says shouldn’t be a priest. I experience what the Vatican calls “deep-seated homosexual tendencies,” which, according to the Church, make...

Papal Theologian on Gay Identity

Daniel Mattson

In my last essay at First Things , I echoed the words of Pope Benedict writing about the pastoral care of the homosexual person by saying, “only what is...

In Defense of the Church’s Challenging Language on Homosexuality

Daniel Mattson

When considering the pastoral language the Church should use in speaking about homosexuality, the guiding principle must be what then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger wrote about the subject in 1986,...

Homosexual Orientation, or Disorientation?

Daniel Mattson

All of us have a longing to be fully known: by ourselves, by others, and by God. Fundamental to Christian thought is this: We can only know ourselves fully...

Why I Don’t Call Myself a Gay Christian

Daniel Mattson

Joshua Gonnerman wrote a provocative piece for this column, “Dan Savage Was Right.” What began as an advocacy for the Church to become family for the homosexual community soon...