out in my headstraights by appointment only

Your Holiness,

I hope that this message finds you well and in good health in mind and body.

I imagine that you must be inundated by letters and messages every day from people all over the world, but I hope that you will somehow find time to read this message.

I am writing to you because I am lost. I am lost because I have recently read that you have once again made a comment against same-sex marriage. I am lost because in your mission to promote your message for the World Day of Peace 2013, you are in fact dividing us.

“A good person brings good things out of a treasure of good things; a bad person brings bad things out of a treasure of bad things. You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. Your words will be used to judge you—to declare you either innocent or guilty.” – Matthew 12:35-37

I am lost because all my life I have had to struggle with myself to understand where I belong in this world, and why I am different. I am lost because every so often I read or hear something that makes me feel less of a person. I am lost because I want nothing more than to share my life with someone I love, yet I am constantly being told that my love is unnatural and unwanted.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God’s curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.” – Matthew 25:41-46

Your Holiness, you are in a position that very few on this earth will ever be given. Your words are listened to and obeyed by millions across the world, and by continuing to speak out against same-sex marriage, you are hurting the millions of LGBT people around the world. So many of my friends, straight or otherwise, want to enjoy the institution of marriage, so why deny us this basic right? We love who we love; why should anything else matter?

I was raised just like any other Catholic, and was taught to always love and treat others equally. Yet I find that in today’s world that is so easy to preach but so hard to put into practice.

The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?” “No one, sir,” she answered. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.” – John 8:3-11

You say that same-sex marriage would “..harm and help to destabilize marriage, obscuring its specific nature and its indispensable role in society”, which I believe could not be further than the truth. I know plenty of same-sex couples who have been faithful to each other for so many years, and are so much more content than some straight couples I know. When two people love each other, I cannot see why they being of the same gender is any of an issue in anyone’s eyes.

“But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.” – Matthew 5:44-46

And so I ask of you Your Holiness, to please reconsider your thoughts on same-sex marriage. There are much more important issues facing our society today than the genders of two people who love each other.

Faithfully,

Your child in Christ