The principle behind UT’s University Catholic Center’s founding of a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender support group is that in God’s eyes, we are all the same. Group meetings will begin this week, where members will come together for discussion, prayer and fellowship.
“We want to provide a safe place for young people to talk about this issue — how does it fit in with the Catholic Church teachings?” said the Rev. Ed Koharchik, associate director at the center.
“Whether one is gay or straight, it’s morally neutral.”
In recent weeks, the center has promoted the support group, whose purpose is to shed light on the “misconstrued teachings of the church” with respect to non-heterosexual lifestyles, Koharchik said.
“It’s about this group of people and how to stay within the teachings of the church and yet still identify as being of that orientation,” said Michael Jungwirth, a Middle Eastern studies graduate student.
“It sounds reasonable.”
Koharchik said he hopes to deter Catholics from breaking off their relationship with God due to their sexual orientation.
He said he wants community members to know that sexuality is not tied to an individual’s personhood and that linking the two together could “cut off awareness to goodness.”
Koharchik and UT alumna Chelsea Griffo enlisted the support of Bishop Gregory Aymond from the Diocese of Austin to implement the program.
Koharchik and Griffo said they believe that Aymond’s approval of the group will appease possible protesters who deem the forming of the group a sanction of same-sex relationships.
“There is a lot of hatred out there,” Koharchik said. “There’s a lot of anger.”
History and finance senior Jennifer Marquess said she first heard about the group three weeks ago after a Mass.
“I think it is awesome that they were able to get the support of the bishop for the group,” Marquess said.
Student members of the center expressed their accord with the group.
“I think they brought it up last semester,” said Eugene Martir, a biology and linguistics junior. “They had thrown out the ideas, and it seemed like a really good idea at the time.”
When asked about any concerns regarding opposition to the support group, the students shrugged it off.
“People will protest anything,” Martir said.
Koharchik said the center is not attempting to keep the announcement of the group under wraps and that the center is actively seeking to promote the support group.
“Whenever you start a group, it’s going to be slow at first, unless it’s something immensely popular,” Jungwirth said.
Among other pastoral recommendations aimed toward church ministers, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops suggests in its pamphlet, “Always Our Children,” that religious entities “help to establish or promote support groups for parents and family members” of gays and lesbians.
Koharchik’s goal for the support group is to encourage a chaste lifestyle for every person and to encourage members to “live morally good and make proper decisions.
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(Source: DT)