Mastodon
RNS logo

The compassionate truth revealed: the Catholic Church and its teachings on same-sex attractions

Driven by his love for his brother, who identifies as a gay man, and seeing how, all too often, young adults often fall in love with the Catholic Church but lose interest when it comes to its teachings on same-sex attraction, Father Michael Schmitz wrote the new book MADE FOR LOVE: SAME-SEX ATTRACTIONS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The compassionate truth revealed: the Catholic Church and its teachings on same-sex attractions
Religion News LLC

SAN FRANCISCO – Driven by his love for his brother, who identifies as a gay man, and seeing how, all too often, young adults often fall in love with the Catholic Church but lose interest when it comes to its teachings on same-sex attraction, Father Michael Schmitz wrote the new book MADE FOR LOVE: SAME-SEX ATTRACTIONS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The disconnect between the teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality and the way those teachings are typically communicated is expansive. Father Schmitz wrote MADE FOR LOVE to bridge that gap, to show that there are other options besides unconditional acceptance or outright hate.

MADE FOR LOVE is written in a conversational and loving tone, showing how to speak about same-sex attraction without pushing away those who view it differently than the Church.


Father Schmitz, who teaches at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, wrote MADE FOR LOVE for those struggling with same-sex attractions, for those who love someone with same-sex attractions and for those parents who have a child who identifies as gay. This is not a book that says “here is why God loves you but here is why you are wrong.”

Quite the opposite. Father Schmitz affirms the reader, no matter their sexual orientation, and invites them into the Church, letting them know that there is indeed a place for them there, that they will be loved. The book has a helpful question and answer chapter at the end as well.

MADE FOR LOVE does not hammer on the cultural issues that surround the politically charged topic today. Instead, it lays significant groundwork on the importance of the body, the definition of marriage, what love is, what the Catholic Church teaches on homosexuality — and why — and the problem of moral relativism in today’s culture and why that is affecting the message of the Church.

“Our brothers and sisters who experience same-sex attraction are saddled with a heavy cross,” said Curtis Martin, founder and CEO of FOCUS. “When others muddy the waters of Our Lord’s love for all, Fr. Schmitz’s book filters the pure and renewing love of God for those who experience same-sex attraction and helps their loved ones understand this particular struggle.”

###

For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Father Mike Schmitz:

No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today