Indian Church says homosexuality is not a crime but cannot become a “social norm”
(July 3, 2009) The Catholic Church of India “agrees that it is a right and appropriate
to remove the stigma of ‘criminality’ associated with homosexuality. At the same time,
it cannot agree that it is a socially normal form of behaviour,” said Fr Babu Joseph,
spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body of the
Catholic Church of India. He was talking to AsiaNews regarding Delhi High Court’s
ruling on Thursday that treating consensual gay sex between adults as a crime is a
violation of fundamental rights protected by India's constitution. The ruling, the
first of its kind in India, is not binding outside New Delhi. Underscoring the Catholic
Church’s teaching, Fr. Babu said that “homosexuals should not be thrown in jail or
discriminated on the basis of their orientation.” “However, their behaviour cannot
be considered normal. The facts are that homosexuality is against the natural order
and anything that goes against the natural order does not last over time and will
have a negative impact on the lives of people and society.” Fr. Babu explained that
the Church has consistently opposed gay relationships, gay marriages and homosexual
activities, for the reason that the Church considers the marriage between a man and
a woman as something sacred and as the basic unit of society. Fr. Babu however expressed
surprise over the court ruling in a society like that of India, which is very traditional
and holds traditional family values in high esteem.