Chron misstates Pope's stance on homosexuality

In its house editorial today, the Chronicle again manages to misrepresent the Catholic Church's stance on homosexuality:

John Paul II cemented his reputation as a conservative by opposing the ordination of women to the priesthood and condemned homosexuality as intrinsically sinful.

WRONG. The Church does not claim that homosexuality -- that is, mere attraction to the same sex -- is sinful. It maintains that homosexual acts are sinful. Take a look at the most recent Catechism of the Catholic Church, as promulgated by Pope John Paul II:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. 2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. 2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

I compare the Church's stance on homosexuality to most people's stance on alcoholism. Most people would agree that alcoholism is "objectively disordered" -- there is something fundamentally wrong with an overwhelming addiction to the bottle. It constitutes a grave temptation for many people. But temptation, in itself, is not sinful. The alcoholic's disorder makes him unable to responsibly and properly use alcohol, so he is called to avoid sin by abstaining from booze.