Dr Jeff Mirus - Most of us are forced by cultural circumstances to say far more about homosexuality than we would like. Because of the persistent moral challenge presented by gay advocacy, most of what we have to say is negative. This troubles me because it is just another burden for those with homosexual inclinations who are committed to living chastely in accordance with the teachings of Christ and His Church. So I'd like to take time out from the culture wars to look at things from the perspective of these courageous men and women, to whom I believe we owe a significant debt.

Sexuality is an important part of our identity as persons. By this I mean primarily the question of whether we are male or female, which is part of the core definition of who we are. I do not mean that our sexual inclinations are part of our self-definition in the same sense. Inclinations, however deep-seated, do not define us for the simple reason that we can master them. For example, I cannot change the fact that I am male no matter how much self-mastery I attain, but I can control to a considerable extent how my maleness expresses itself and I can even alter over time the degree to which I am subject to the temptations that typically afflict males. Yes, my inclinations are part of me. But they do not define me.

At the same time, sexual inclinations play a huge role in our lives because they are so closely linked to our core identities. The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts this nicely in number 2332: "Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul. It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others." The Catechism goes on to say that we should "acknowledge and accept" our sexual "identity"-that is, our maleness or femaleness.

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One of the most puzzling features of contemporary Western society is that governments are prepared to act intolerantly in the name of tolerance. Australian sociologist Michael Casey explains how this has come about.

MercatorNet: You have written about the puzzle of "intolerant tolerance". What is this all about?  

Casey: Tolerance is essential to any sort of life in common, especially in complex democratic societies. Originally it was simply a practice, a way of living together and respecting the freedom of others. It has now become a value in its own right, perhaps the supreme value. Certainly it features high up on the list whenever people are asked to identify what the West stands for.  

To create a tolerant society, however, democracies increasingly resort to intolerance. There is no question that a decent society must protect itself and vulnerable minorities from groups which refuse to respect the rights of other people. But intolerant tolerance is directed against groups which actually respect and defend the rights and freedoms of others.  

Christians, for example, are treated as intolerant for maintaining legitimate distinctions between couples who can and cannot be married;

for reasonably exercising a preference in employing staff for people who share their faith; and for defending the rights of the unborn and disabled. Intolerance means refusing to respect the rights of others, but in these cases it has been extended to something which is not a form of intolerance at all: the right we all have to refuse to validate choices with which we disagree and to say they are wrong. Intolerant tolerance means enforced validation of certain values and practices in the name of the tolerance.

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Fr Roger Landry - On January 9, after baptizing 21 infants in the Sistine Chapel on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Benedict captured international headlines for reminding Catholic parents throughout the world that they should be choosing Christian names for their children.

The choice of a name, he emphasized, shouldn't be done "by chance" or whim, but should reinforce and communicate to the growing child and others one of the essential realities of the sacrament of baptism and the Christian life. The Christian name - in contrast to a non-Christian name - signifies that in baptism "every baptized person acquires the character of a son" and is "an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit gives birth to man 'anew' from the womb of the Church." A Christian name manifests that through baptism a child is "raised to the supernatural order" and "placed in communication with God," who then calls that child by that given name. Naming the child after a Christian saint or Biblical hero is a concrete reminder for the child and everyone else that God is calling that child, like his or her Christian namesake, to holiness and heaven. A Christian name concretely that there is, and is meant to be, a connection and continuity between natural and supernatural life, and between earthly and eternal life. 

 Much of this connection has been getting gradually lost in Christian practice, which is the reason why Pope Benedict needed to bring it to our attention. Recently, the Social Security Administration published a list of the 1,000 most popular boys' and girls' names chosen by American parents in 2009. The main headline for most of the press accounts was that the name "Mary" - which in every year from 1910-1965 was either the first or the second most popular girls' name - was no longer even in the top 100. American parents as a whole were choosing the names Alyssa, Aubrey, Avery, and Aaliyah, Hailey, Bailey, Kaylee, and Riley, Layla, Makayla, Morgan and Destiny more than they were choosing to name their child over the spiritual mother Jesus on the Cross gave to the human race. While Marian derivatives Maria (71st) and Mariah (88th) did make the top 100, they still trailed those named after Manhattan boulevards (Madison, 7th), adrenal disorders (Addison, 12th), Big Apple Boroughs (Brooklyn, 37th) and even the suggested overturning of heaven (Nevaeh - heaven spelled backwards - 34th) by large margins.

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Shrine Time for Young Adults @ Mt Schoenstatt. 4th Sunday of every month, 7.30pm-8.30pm, followed by a social gathering. 

Marriage Encounter Weekends. 15-17 Jul & 21-23 Oct. Renew the relationship with your spouse and rediscover your best friend.
 

Love and Truth Dinner for Married Couples.  Saturday 13 August 2011.

National Marriage Day Rally at Paliament House, Canberrra. In support of marriage the Great Hall of Parliament House has been booked for morning tea and a rally to demonstrate support for marriage. Your presence is needed! Tuesday 16 August 2011 

Family Days at Mt Schoenstatt. Strengthening the Family Bond in the Light of Christian Values. Sundays 25 Sep & 13 Nov 2011.