"Homosexuals hurt themselves."

Pictured, Albrecht Durer, "The Men's Baths"

"In his most powerful statements to date on issues involving sexual morality, Pope Benedict XVI said homosexuals end up destroying themselves so the Church has a duty to speak out on moral issues that affect the very spiritual and physical lives of man.

"In seeking to emancipate himself from his body (from the 'biological sphere'), [man] ends up by destroying himself," the pope told cardinals, archbishops, bishops and members of the Roman Curia last week in a traditional meeting overlooked by most of the world's press. "Against those who say that 'the Church should not involve herself in these matters,' we can only respond: does man not concern us too? The church and believers must raise their voices to defend man, the creature who, in the inseparable unity of body and spirit, is the image of God." - World Net Daily

Most homosexuals will fail to see the compassion in the Holy Father's words, as they fail to understand the teaching of the Church as regards homosexuality, in both the Catechism and various episcopal statements on the problem so mysteriously prevalent in contemporary times.

Many gay people would assert that homophobic tendencies in culture, and society are what hurts homosexual persons. Evidence of discrimination, gay bashing, and alienation would be their criteria in support of this claim.

When AIDs first appeared in the early 1980's, there was a huge denial amongst most gays that there could be any relationship to homosexual sex, and if there was, conspiracy theories abounded as to who was really infecting people. Gradually, places of free-range sex were closed, gay bathhouses were closed down, and gay public sex meeting places were policed. Homosexuals themselves began a campaign for safe sex, such as condom distribution and use, mutual or group sex that did not involve penetration or sharing bodily fluids, etc.

With the advent of new medications, persons with HIV found they could live longer and healthier. The plague mentality waned, and many, especially the young, thought the worst was over, or at least, the disease became more manageable. Sex gradually became freer and more unsafe, and infections once again began to rise.

Most likely, this will be what public opinion will assume the Holy Father is referring to - destruction of gay persons through STD's. I highly doubt the Holy Father was being so simplistic and superficial in his statement.

So how does a homosexual destroy himself? We concentrate all of our values upon the here and now. Hence, HIV and AIDS aside, if we look for how a homosexual can destroy himself, we may find other more obvious means, when we examine the lifestyle and values of gay culture.

As a sex based lifestyle, gay culture exalts physical beauty to the point of idolatry. Almost every attractive male becomes a sexualized, or romanticized object. Homosexual literature and publications are the clearest example of this predacious inclination, pornography is normative in the homosexual subculture. In this sense, homosexuality debases and dehumanizes sexuality. This erotic 'love' withers the soul, and diminishes the human spirit.

Depression, chemical dependency, compulsive behaviors often accompany this disintegration - even in the best of homosexual persons - the most balanced and functional. The widespread use of anti-depressants and prescription sleep aids may often take the place of drug abuse or alcoholism, yet there remains the underlying problem. Again, societal marginalization or prejudice may be claimed as the reason for this psychological imbalance - what they like to refer to as homophobia. Yet, even in a perfect world of total acceptance and all that goes along with that, such as gay marriage, adoption of children, freedom to be promiscuous, etc. - even in this situation, there would remain an underlying, fundamental discontent. That is because homosexual sex is intrinsically disordered, no matter how romanticised or emotionally captivating. And the acts are DOA - dead on arrival - they are always unproductive ( not life generating), except in the sense of selfish sensual gratification.
Ultimately, and this is controversial, homosexuals destroy themselves the more they force their lifestyle choice upon the public, disrupting the common good. Nature rebels against any perversion, and there is inevitably a natural consequence, even chastisement, for sin . The Church warns against any discrimination or persecution of homosexual persons, and has spoken out against these evils and resulting violence. The Church compassionately invites homosexual persons to conversion of life, to share fully in the sacramental life of the Church, and thus to inherit eternal life.

Which leads me to the conclusion that the Holy Father, when saying homosexuals destroy themselves, he must ultimately be referring to one's eternal salvation. All the evils I refer to are nothing compared to the loss of one's immortal soul.

Of course, I'm just a blogger, and I've only read an article about what the Holy Father said, I do not know his mind, nevertheless this is my take on his statement. Although I do believe, one's active rejection of the teaching of the Church and the commandments, while embracing and advocating an illicit lifestyle, for the sake of some semblance of happiness in this life can indeed result in the loss of heaven and the pains of hell for all eternity. In this sense, even the successful, happy and well adjusted homosexual can destroy himself.
(from the blog "Abbey Road" http://abbey-roads.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&updated-max=2007-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&max-results=50 )