Testaments from end to end in one year. Try it.

5. Bookmark the
ew American Bible site

www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/imdex and visit it
when you take a break at work.

The Catholic Faith - Sacred Traditions

The Sacred Traditions are a means of communion
with God and one another through, sacraments,
devotion and prayer. Given to us by Jesus, they engage
and awaken our physical, mental and spiritual senses to
God's presence and movement in our lives. There are
three main areas.
1. The Sacraments
(www.couragec.net/OCFSacraments.html).
Rites
observed by Jesus, that Catholics participate in
today, serving as evidence of God's grace, sanctifying,
building up, instructing and providing means of
worship.
2. Devotions
(www.couragec.net/OCFDevotion.html). Ways of
regularly giving or applying one's time, attention or self
to matters of holiness.
3. Prayer www.couragec.net/OCFPrayer.html).
Acts of communion with God such as confession,
praise, or thanksgiving.

Our Catholic Faith - Magisterial Teachings and

Focus Articles
The magisterial teachings are a means by which the
Pope together with a counsel of Bishops (together called
the magisterium) interpreting the Holy Scriptures and
Sacred Traditions, bring greater understanding and
direction to us on current issues. Out of this effort come
series of documents.
There are many magisterial documents. To get a
complete listing, visit the Vatican website
(www.vatican.org/). There you can search on any
number of topics that you may be seeking clarification
on.
Associated with the magisterial documents are
focus articles of bishops and priests on single and
groups of documents. This is what comes most
frequently to our parishes at sermons, notices in the
bulletins and Diocese newspapers.
For the purpose of this Courage Website, we are
presenting mixed groups of magisterial documents and
focus articles specifically on homosexuality and
sexuality. From these you will see that the Church has

for a very long time, instructed all to reach out to those

struggling with homosexual feelings.
Contrary to what many of us have at times
thought, the Church has not abandoned those of us
with same-sex desires. She has instead stood firm on
Spiritual truths that are meant to guide us toward our
needed growth and maturity in Christ. The following
teachings provide sound guidance on this issue.
1. Holy See Endorses Courage. Pope John
Paul II expresses the Vatican's approval of Courage, a
Catholic organization that offers guidance and
fellowship for those struggling with homosexuality.
2. Eleven
Church
Teachings
on
Homosexuality. Compiled by Courage and a Youth
Minister this article provides a comprehensive and
clear picture on the church's teachings on
homosexuality and why.
3. Pope John Paul II Speaks On Homosexuality. Pope John Paul II reminds us of what
homosexuality is and what our responsibilities are as
Catholics in living out the truths in this matter.
4. Chastity and Homosexuality. In the
Catholic Catechism the Vatican defines homosexuality
and gives guidance.
5. Official Statement of American Bishops.
The American Bishops bring more clarity and
direction while maintaining the stated truths about
homosexuality.
6. Truth and the Meaning of Human
Sexuality. The Vatican brings definition and direction
to our understanding of Human Sexuality in general.
7. Humanae Vitae. Pope John Paul II describes
the sacredness of human life.
8. On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual
Persons.
Letter from the Congregation for the
Doctrine of Faith to the Bishops of the Catholic
Church, describing the proper pastoral ministry
approach for counsel of those struggling with
homosexuality.
Copyright (C) 2000 Courage. Used with permission

Pope John Paul II Society of Evangelists

P.O. Box 5584, Bakersfield, California 93388
e-mail: [email protected] Phone: 661 393-3239

www.pjpiisoe.org
Donation Welcome and Appreciated
Pamphlet 416

Courage Ministering to Those with

Same-Sex Attractions
Courage, an apostolate of the Roman Catholic
Church, ministers to those with same-sex attractions
and their loved ones. We have been endorsed by the
Pontifical Council for the Family and our beloved
John Paul II said of this ministry, "COURAGE is
doing the work of God!" We also have an outreach
called
Encourage(
www.couragage,net/Encourage.html) which ministers
to relatives and friends of persons with same-sex
attractions.
Persons with homosexual desires have always
been with us; however, until recent times, there has
been little, if any, formal outreach from the Church in
the way of support groups or information for such
persons. Most were left to work out their path on their
own. As a result, they found themselves listening to
and accepting the secular societys perspective and
opting to act on their same-sex desires.
His Eminence, the late Terence Cardinal Cooke of
New York, was aware of, and troubled by this
situation. He knew that the individual dealing with
same-sex attractions truly needed to experience the
freedom of interior chastity and in that freedom find
the steps necessary to living a fully Christian life in
communion with God and others. He was concerned
that many would not find this path and would be
constantly trying to get their needs met in ways that
ultimately do not satisfy the desires of the heart.
In response to this concern, he decided to form a
spiritual support system which would assist men and
women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives
in fellowship, truth and love.
Knowing of Fr. John Harvey's extensive ministry
experience in this field, he invited him to come to his
Archdiocese.
With the help of the Rev. Benedict Groeschel,
C.F.R., and others, Fr. Harvey began the Courage
Apostolate with its first meeting in September, 1980 at
the Shrine of Mother Seton in South Ferry.
With the endorsement of the Holy See, Courage
now has more than 110 Chapters and contact people
world-wide, over 1500 persons participating in its
ListServs, and hundreds of persons per week receiving

assistance from the main office and website. It has

become a mainstream Catholic Apostolate helping
thousands of men and women find peace through
fellowship, prayer, and the Sacraments.
The Courage Central Office operates through the
prayerful and financial support of the Archdiocese of
New York as well as contributions and volunteer work
from Courage members and other individuals and
organizations committed to advancing its efforts.
Individual chapters throughout the world are selfsupporting and exist with the permission of their
diocesan Bishop.
In helping individuals gain a greater understanding
and appreciation of the Church's teachings, especially in
the area of chastity, Courage extends the Church's
invitation to a life of peace and grace. In chaste living,
one finds the peace and grace to grow in Christian
maturity.

The Five Goals

The following five goals of Courage were created
by the members themselves, when Courage was
founded. The goals are read at the start of each meeting
and each member is called to practice them in daily life.
1. Live chaste lives in accordance with the
Roman Catholic Churchs teaching on homosexuality.
(Chastity)
2. Dedicate ones life to Christ through service to
others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual
spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the
frequent reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation
and Holy Eucharist. (Prayer and Dedication)
3. Foster a spirit of fellowship in which all may
share thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no
one will have to face the problems of homosexuality
alone. (Fellowship)
4. Be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships
are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian
life and in doing so provide encouragement to one
another in forming and sustaining them. (Support)
5. Live lives that may serve as good examples to
others. (Good Example)
Some say the Church is just a bunch of rules and
restrictions. Some talk about the Church as if it
arbitrarily and spontaneously comes up with it's stances
in order to exert control on society. Some wonder if
living the Catholic faith will be helpful in their struggle
with same-sex desires.

Courage emphasizes that,

through your
relationship with Jesus Christ, you will find what truly
matters in life. In fact, it is only in Him that you will
find the true answers to your questions.
The road is not always easy but, with faith,
understanding and love, you will be able to make
choices that will enable you to walk a closer walk with
Him.
The Catholic Church is here to help us do that
through teaching and through the sacraments. Contrary
to popular perspective, practicing Catholics find great
freedom in following the Church's teaching.
This section provides a simple overview of the
Catholic faith. After reading through it, we encourage
you to seek further understanding and relationship
with God and others by participating in your local
parish.
The Catholic faith is made up of three
interconnected parts.
1. Holy Scriptures
www.couragerc.net/OCFHolyScriptures.html - The
Word of God, written into two books: the Old and
New Testaments. From the Holy Scriptures we can
gain insight and clarity on who God is, how He relates
to us and how as God's people we have responded.
2. Sacred Traditions
www.couragerc.net/OCFSacredTraditions.html Means of communion with God and one another
through the Sacraments, devotions and prayer. Given
to us by Jesus, they engage and awaken our physical,
mental and spiritual senses to God's presence and
movement in our lives.
3. Magisterial Teachings www.couragerc.net/OCFMagisterialTeachings.html
Means by which the Pope together with a counsel of
Bishops interpreting the Holy Scriptures and Sacred
Traditions, bring greater understanding and direction
to us on current issues.

The Catholic Faith - Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures are Divinely
inspired works. That means that God was right there in
the hearts of those who wrote them, breathing His
Holy Spirit into every thought and stroke of the pen.
From the Holy Scriptures we can gain insight and
clarity on who God is, how He relates to us and how,
as God's people, we have responded.
The Holy Scriptures, also known as the Word of
God, are an essential and integral part of our faith as
Catholics. Did you know that the readings recited at

each mass cover the Old and New Testaments in three

years? From the Vatican to local churches to our
living rooms, the Bible is of great importance to a
Catholic's walk.
Try making some time daily to reflect on the
Sacred Scriptures. And keep in mind, the Holy Spirit
given to the Church by Jesus after His Resurrection is
constantly with us to offer guidance and protection.
This means that you are not alone in this effort.
Do this. Each morning when you wake up and
each evening before you head off to sleep, say a prayer
to the Holy Spirit to ask for His guidance and pause for
a moment in expectation of His presence. Then open
up your Bible and read a passage. Spend a few
moments and quietly reflect on it. You may want to
write down some thoughts that come to you, in your
journal.
Here's some other suggestions for approaching the
Word of God. Pick one and try it out.
1. Make a visit to your local parish and see if
there is a Bible study offered there. If not, ask if
they know of other places which would offer them.
When studying the scriptures in the presence of a
clergy member, you will gain the benefit of
acquiring a clearer and broader understanding of
them. Also, getting together with others to study
the Word of God can bring to you different
perspectives on the Bible, and what you share can
help others too. Besides, its fun to study with
others.
2. Visit the Word of God website (www.wordof
god.ca/). This resource was developed by Fr. John
Mole, O.M.I., to help you prepare for the coming
Sunday's readings.
3. The Holy Scriptures have been studied for
years by the Church and some Church
organizations have put together booklets
explaining them. You may want to get a hold of
one of those. Try visiting The Word Among Us
website (www.wau.org/ ). There you can view
articles online and order their periodic publication.
Publications like these come out monthly
providing insight on the scriptures presented in the
daily and Sunday Masses.
4. Another type of Holy Scriptures guide is the
"Prayers of the Hours." It is a prayer book that
many Holy Orders use for their daily prayer. Any
Catholic book store would have them in stock. If
you read daily, you will cover the Old and New