OPINIONS
OPINIONS
Homosexuality
By H.H. Pope Shenouda III
* This article contains data that was presented by H.H.
Pope Shenouda III in a lecture given on November 26, 1990 and represents
the authentic views of the Coptic Orthodox Church on this controversial
subject. It was also
later transcribed and made available in print form by
St. Mark Church and St. Mina & St. Abanoub Church in Ohio, USA
The Holiness of the Church
The first matter is the holiness of the Church. In the Holy Creed we say: "We believe in one holy Church". This holy Church is Apostolic and Universal. In the Apostolic age, all the believers were called saints. A believer in the language of the Bible means a saint, because we are sanctified with faith, sanctified in baptism, sanctified in the holy Chrism, sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
We are not merely human beings--we are temples of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is abiding in us, as it is written in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapters 3 and 6. As temples of the Holy Spirit, we should have communion with the Holy Spirit. The work of any believer is not only the work of a human individual but actually it is the work of the Holy Spirit in such a person who is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
We are also the image of God and we carry the image of God to the world. They see in our conduct, in out behavior, what proves that we are real children of God.
If we read the beginning of some of the epistles of Saint Paul, to the Romans for example, he says: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God...to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints" (Rom.1:1,7). The Apostle is writing to the saints of Rome. And also in another epistle, he writes: "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1 Cor. 1:2). And in the Second Epistle also he says: "To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia" (2 Cor.1:1).
When he writes to Ephesus, he sends his greetings to all the saints in Ephesus. And also to the Philippians he says the same. Again, when he writes to the Hebrews, for example in chapter 3, he writes to those who are called to the Divine call who are saints also.
If we are supposed to be saints, how must we behave as saints, and how can we carry the Holy Image to the world?
In the Apostolic age, not everyone was allowed to enter the
church, but only those who were worth to attend the holy Eucharist and partake
of the Blood and Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. This holy life is what we are
called to, because we are the children of a Holy Father. Saint Peter speaks
about this point and says: "...as obedient children, not conforming
yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you
is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy,
for I am holy.'" (1 Pet.1:14-16), and this was written in Leviticus
(Lev.11:44).
The holy persons do not live in the lust of the flesh but they walk according to
the Spirit.
A holy person has to two characteristics. The first is that his flesh is guided by the spirit, by his human spirit. And the second characteristic is that his spirit, his human spirit, is guided by the Spirit of God. So the Spirit of God is guiding the whole person, guiding the spirit and the body, and the person should be holy in body and in spirit.
Let me mention some verses from the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans about the body and the spirit. The holy Apostle says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk accordingly to the flesh but according to the Spirit," (Rom.8:1). And in verse 5, he says: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of god, nor indeed can be" (Rom.8:5-7). And then he says: "...if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom.8:10). The he says: "Therefore brethren, we are debtors - not to the flesh. For if you live according to the the flesh.. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put on death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Rom.8:12-14). He mentions here the sons of God as those persons who are led by the Spirit of God.
Let me venture now to speak about a matter which is well known, and which needs grace from our Lord to overcome; this subject of homosexuality. I am sorry to have to speak about this matter because it ought not to be a matter of discussion.
Homosexuality Is Against Nature
This matter is firstly against nature, because the sexual relation is permitted only within marriage and between man and woman, male and female. If not, then it is an abnormality and against nature.
When our Lord Jesus Christ discussed this matter with the scribes and Pharisees in Saint Matthew's Gospel chapter 19 and in Saint Mark's Gospel chapter 10, He said: "From the beginning...God 'made them male and female'", man and woman. This is the proper way of nature and this was the will of our God in creation from the beginning.
But when people walked according to the lust of the flesh in the Old Testament they received severe punishment from God, as at the time of the Flood when only the pure persons, the eight persons in the Ark of Noah, were saved, and all the people who were not clean, who walked according to the flesh, perished. Also the people of Sodom, who were not clean, were burned with fire, because they also walked according to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the body - they were not clean in their spirit.
Homosexuals Shall Not Enter the Kingdom of Heaven
Carnal persons cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. They cannot inherit the kingdom of God. We read this in the Book of Revelation chapter 21 where it speaks about the heavenly Jerusalem and says: "But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination" (Rev.21:27). Those of defilement and abomination cannot enter the city of God.
Homosexuals Were Punished by Death
We read that homosexuality is a kind of abomination which in the Old Testament was condemned to death. If we read for example Leviticus 18 verse 22, God says: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." And also in the Book of Leviticus, chapter 20 verse 13: "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them".
Homosexuality Condemned in the New Testament
Of course, the New Testament is not less pure than the Old Testament. So we find at least four examples against this point: in Romans chapter 1, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 6, in the Epistle of Saint Jude, and in the Epistle to Timothy. I will mention some verses, only to remind ourselves of the verses of the Bible.
Example 1
In Romans chapter 1, it is written: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness". How? Verse 24 says: "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves". "Gave them up" - that means, the grace of God left them, abandoned them and left them to their uncleanness to dishonor their bodies. In such abnormality they dishonor the body.
The honor of the body is to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. But if it is abused then it is dishonor to the body. "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For ever their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due" (Rom.1:26-27).
He spoke also about their debased mind...things which are not fitting. This is what was said in the Epistle to the Romans. If he says: "exchanged the natural use for what is against nature" that means, homosexuality is against nature," that means, homosexuality is against nature. And if he says that this is uncleanness and dishonor of the body and also receiving penalty, and he also says: "Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use", that means that this is abnormal and against nature, and committing that thus us abnormal and against nature, and committing what is shameful."
The point is this: How can such a matter which is shameful and against nature, be a matter of discussion even in the Church? Of course. Of course if we change if we make it lawful. If we change something shameful and worthy of penalty and against nature into something lawful this will be a disaster and worth of the punishment of God, on earth and also in the other world.
Example 2
In the First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 6, the Apostle says: "Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites...will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor.6:9). None of these will inherit the kingdom of God. Then how can it be something lawful?
And as living in the Spirit and not according to the flesh, he also says: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (v.18). What is meant by 'his own body'? He is sinning against the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that is more, the Apostle says: "...do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (v.19). your body is not your own; your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
When a person sins against the Holy Spirit, that means he is separating himself from the Holy Spirit. Light and darkness cannot exist together in one place. From the beginning God separated light from darkness (Gen.1). Then we cannot have the Holy Spirit abiding in us in such a case.
The Apostle says: "...glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's (1 Cor.6:20), because the body is for God and the spirit is for God. And in chapter 3 he adds: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are" (1 Cor.3:16-17).
In the First Epistle to the Corinthians chapter 6 the Apostle says: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! (1Cor.6:15). These are the members of Christ because we are His body and his bones. Saint Paul says: " It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal.2:20). If Christ lives in me, how can we abuse the body of the members of Christ or the temple of the Holy Spirit? How can we abuse or dishonor the image of God and lose our holy image and live in the lust of the flesh? This is against holy life and against chastity.
Example 3
In his Epistle, Saint Jude says: "as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal life" Jude 7).
Example 4
In the First Epistle to Timothy, the Apostle says: "...knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites" (1 Tim.9,10). Saint Paul includes this word 'sodomites' or homosexuals among the murderers, among the lawless persons, among the ungodly.
Then this sin was condemned in the Old Testament and condemned in the New Testament. Can we disobey God in order to please some sinful persons? Or is it better to correct them? Can we help others to lose their eternity and be punished in the eternal punishment, without correcting them? Or let them depend on the Church making this matter lawful?
Homosexuality Is Against Health
I think that in our present day, our Lord God gave a great warning to people in the form of AIDS. But unfortunately people do not feat even such a fearful disease. It is a warning to such people who suffer defilement of the body.
Homosexuality Is Against Manhood
How can a person who is used as a woman be called a man? He is deprived of his manhood and is not considered to be a man any longer.
Homosexuality Is Against the Good Name of Christianity
What may be said of Christianity in its supreme ideology? Christianity teaches the sublime ideas of spirituality. How can other religions have any idea about this spiritual life if they know that there is homosexuality in the Church and that the Church is discussing whether it is wrong or right?
The life of the Church should be a life of holiness. A holy person is a member of the Church, but the unholy is not considered a member of the Church - at all. And this is what was mentioned in the Book of Acts chapter 2, verse 47. It is written: "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." To add to the Church those who were being saved, because the Church is a group of saints.
Homosexuality Is Against the Holy Sacraments
What can we say about the renewal of life in Christianity if such defilement exists inside the Church? How can we say that we received the new life? ...the renewal of life? ...the new birth? What kind of new birth have we received if we have such defilement among the members? What can we say about salvation? What kind of salvation is it? about baptism, what kind of baptism is it? What can we say about holy Chrism when we see such defilement?
Homosexuality is against the Sacrament of Marriage, and it is also against self-control.
Persons who suffer homosexuality should be ashamed. If they know the meaning of spiritual life, they cannot confess that they are homosexuals. But if also they lose their sense of shame and confess to everybody that they are homosexuals, this is something also unbelievable. And what is more unbelievable is that such persons may ask for their own rights, for their human rights as homosexuals.
Rights for Homosexuals
That rights are there for homosexuals? The only right is to be led to repentance. But to live in such defilement of the body, in such dishonor of the body, in such abomination, in such sin, and ask for rights whilst continually being in such sin, this is something also unbelievable! And what is more unbelievable is that, being encouraged by some of the members of the Church, defended by some of the members of the Church, they ask to be priests, whilst still being homosexuals. This is something even more unbelievable!
Homosexual Priests
What may the people, the members of the congregation, say, when they know that their priest is homosexual? And he holds the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ?
To be a homosexual priest and lead the congregation to holy life...without having repented, without having confessed, without changing his life? If he cannot control himself, how can he guide others to such control? If he cannot enjoy the beauty of holy life, how can he speak about the holy life? If he is carnal, how can he guide others to live as spiritual? What will people say about Christianity if such abomination happens in the Church?
Homosexuality and Love
It is claimed that homosexuality is a kind of love between man and man.
No. Love should be spiritual love and should be pure love. We love others in purity. We love others in the Spirit. And loving others should not be against our love for God, because our Lord Jesus Christ said: "He who loves father, son, wife, sister, or brother, more than Me, is not worthy of Me, is not worthy to be My disciple." We cannot love any other person more than our Lord Jesus Christ. Every love which we have should be love in the Lord. We love in the Lord, not outside, not against.
It is not love, but lust, and there is a great difference between love and lust, lust of the flesh. The word 'love' is not suitable for such a relation, because in the Gospel, we say: "God is love." How can we say: " Homosexuality is love"? It is not love - it is a bodily lust - lust of the flesh and a lust which should be corrected.
If a man loves another man, can he abuse the man whom he loves? Is this love or destruction? If a person loves a man, can he lead this man to lose his eternity and be punished in eternal life? Is this a kind of love, to lose his image, the image of God?
Homosexual by Nature
Another excuse given is that such a person is born that way. If he is born that way, we need to heal him, to purge him, to correct him, to pray for him, to guide him to repentance, to heal him medically or spiritually. But not to say to him: "Alright, we accept you as a member of the Church and give you the Body and Blood of our Lord", whilst he remains in such abomination. I cannot say a person is a homosexual by nature. Surely, by bad experience in life, and this can be corrected.
We have in the history of the Church many saints who were fornicators before being saints, before repentance, and they were corrected. They were not homosexuals, but hey were fornicators; the same sin but not abnormal. Saint Augustine is a good example. Saint Moses the Black is another example. Saint Pelagia is another example - there are many examples in history, and through the grace of God, through the work of pastoral care, they were corrected. But we cannot say to the homosexual: "Your case is a lawful case". This cannot be accepted at all. Because if we give him this lawful status, that means we permit him to remain in sin and not to repent. And moreover, he may ask for rights: to be ordained a priest.
The Spiritual Way of Pleasing Others
We cannot flatter persons at the expense of the commandment of God. May I mention one or two verses from the First Epistle to the Galatians: "For I do now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleases men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal.1:10). If I go on pleasing men in contradiction with the commandment of God, then I will not be the servant of Christ.
If I want to please men in a correct way, then I should guide them to repentance. This is the spiritual way of pleasing others, not to let them stay in sin and perish.
What the is the benefit of pleasing men? To leave them to perish? Because in the heavenly kingdom, no person who lives in defilement is allowed to enter. No defiled person can enter the kingdom of God. No fornicator can enter the kingdom of God. No sodomite can enter the kingdom of God. Or can we cancel all the words of Saint Paul and Saint Jude and Saint Peter, and all the others?
Once I read a book written by one of the clergymen - I do not want to say who, one of the bishops - defending homosexuals. And he began to attack Saint Paul and say that Saint Paul is abnormal. Can we please men in such a way, to speak against Apostles, against an elect person, who was elected by God Himself in a miraculous apparition and chosen to be the Apostle for the Gentiles, to be our Apostle (because we were Gentiles), in order to please homosexuals? To please men more than God? Is this acceptable?
Our Lord said: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me", and of the homosexual, He said that without repentance, anyone will perish. This judgment of our Lord was repeated twice near each other in one chapter; in Saint Luke's Gospel chapter 13 verse 3 and verse 5. He said: "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (v.3), and in verse 5: "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish".
Can we say to such sinners, of whom our Lord said: "...unless you repent you will all likewise perish": "No, no, no, we will find excuses for you. The Church loves you and wants to search for excuses that you may remain in sin and you will not perish"? It is not within our power. It is not within our power to justify the case of sinners, or to please sinners. We should guide them to repentance.
The Way to Repentance
At first, the person who sins may become embarrassed, and cannot confess this abomination. But if he dares to confess and says: "I am a homosexual, and I am seeking my rights" - not seeking repentance, but searching for rights - "And also why not be ordained a priest" Why not?, this will be an offence.
If we say to him, "This is sin", his conscience may act against him, always condemning him and reproaching him: "You should repent. You should leave this way". But if we justify him, if we satisfy him, if we please him, his conscience will depend on this lawful position given to him.
The Authority of Clergymen
In Saint Matthew chapter 18, God, our Lord Jesus Christ, gave His servants, the Apostles, the priests, authority, saying: "I say to you whatever you bind on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt.18:18). Whatever you bind or loose, according to the Bible, in harmony with the Bible, in obedience to the commandment of God, but if you bind or loose against the Bible this will not be accepted at all. How? If we read the Epistle to the Galatians, chapter 1, verses 8 and 9, very fearful words are said by this holy Apostle. He says: "But even if we (the Apostles), or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (v.8). And he repeated it in verse 9, saying: "If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (v.9).
We are pastors to guide people through the commandments of God. We have not any power, nor any authority, to give any law against the law of God. Why did our Lord give this authority, or how can this authority to bind or loose be explained? I think we may put beside it what was written in the prophecy of Malachi, chapter 2 verse 7: "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts". The people take the law for the Lord from his lips, from his mouth, because he is the person who knows quite well the law of God, more than any member of the congregation. He is the teacher. He is the guide. So he binds according to the law of God which he knows quite well, and he looses according to the law of God. But not in contradiction, as Saint Paul said: "If we, or an angel from heaven...". As Saint Basil of Caesaria Cappadocia said: "Saint Paul dared to anathematize angels."
The Grave Responsibility of the Clergy
What then should we say to people? There is a commandment given by God in the Old Testament. It is repeated twice in the same prophecy of Ezekiel, in chapter 3 and the same words in chapter 33. May I read you some of the words said by God to Ezekiel: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman (to watch people) for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand" (v.17-18). This wicked person shall die in his iniquity but his blood I require at your hand.
We are pastors. How can we suffer that the blood of these wicked persons who will perish be required from us? We should warn them and say to them: "This way leads you to destruction". And at the same time God says: "Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul" (v.19). This is what is said in chapter 3.
The same words are mentioned in chapter 33, because our Lord God wants to emphasize this point. "So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' And you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand" (Ez.33:7-8).
We fear such condemnation. We should warn the wicked person and say to them: "This is the way of death. If you walk according to the flesh you will die; you should obey the commandment of God". If we love them in a spiritual way we should guide them to repentance; we should try to purge them, to cleanse them, to heal them, to save them - not justify their sins. This is not good for them nor for us. They will perish and their blood will be required at our hands.
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark for the Coptic Orthodox Church. Pope Shenouda III is the editor-in-chief of El-Keraza Magazine, the official publication of the Coptic Orthodox Church, since 1962. His Holiness is the author of over 100 books many of which have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, and other languages.
