Does the Catholic Church welcome people who are married to someone of the same sex?

Answer 1

No. The Catholic Church does not approve of same-sex marriage. It does not permit its clergy to perform same-sex weddings, or any similar ceremony involving a same-sex couple. Such ceremonies are not allowed to take place on Church property. Neither does the Catholic Church recognize same-sex marriages.

In some places where required by law, certain secular organizations affiliated with the Church (e.g., Catholic Charities, Catholic Hospitals, Catholic Immigrant Services, etc.) do, to the extent required by law, treat all civil marriages the same, including same-sex marriages, but this is for business and social-services purposes only and not intended as a religious approval of these relationships.

Answer 2

Answer

Absolutely not! Scripture spells out marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Answer

Unfortunately, the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to same sex marriage. Apparently the church (along with many people, such as the first contributor) only has a shallow understanding of the scripture. The parts of The Bible that seem to condemn homosexuality don't. Go to the following page to find out why. I don't feel like writing it all out if it's readily available already somewhere else. See link below:

Catholic AnswerAttached below are some documents issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when it was headed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger before he was elected to the chair of Peter as Pope Benedict XVI. This reflect orthodox Christian teaching and the doctrine of the Church as it has been held for the entire twenty plus centuries of its existence. In particular the Holy Father noted, in his releases, that all people, including homosexuals are made in the image and likeness of God, and that we are all responsible for our fellow man, and his welfare. Therefore homosexual individuals are to be treated with compassion and respect. However, as with all sin, and all sexual acts that are performed outside of marriage and outside of the dual objectives of God, to further the love between a man and a woman, AND to beget new life - all other sexual activities are sins; and, in particular, homosexual acts are "gravely disordered." Thus the Holy Father is trying to instruct both those who are trying to find a way to deal with their disordered passions, while at the same time those who are dealing with the homosexuals, whether in their family, their neighborhood, friends, or country. The Catholic Church can never condone sin either in the homosexual or in the person dealing with the homosexual. Please see the links below.

Answer 3

YES.

The Catholic Church accepts everyone. Catholics have a life-long obligation to attend mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Even excommunicated persons are required to attend mass. Even defrocked clergy are required to attend mass.

Same-sex marriages are among those that the Catholic Church does not accept, but they are not the only kind of marriage that the Church does not recognize. Divorced persons who re-marry also have their marriages repudiated, as do some (but not all!) persons married to non-Catholics.

Because one's marriage is not accepted by the Church does not relieve a Catholic from his or her obligation to participate in the Catholic religion. Being gay or lesbian does not relieve one of this responsibility. Baptism and Confirmation both leave indelible marks on one's soul. It is not possible to renounce the Catholic Faith once you have received the sacraments of initiation. There is no sin that makes you stop being Catholic. There is no sinner that cannot be redeemed by the sacrifice of the Cross after sacramental confession to a priest.

You do not need to be in a state of grace to attend mass. You come as you are - whoever you are and whatever you have done. Your local parish will allow you to register as a member and attend mass.

The sticking point is the Eucharist. In the United States, few priests deny communion to anyone. However, each Catholic is required to perform an examination of conscience and, if he is in mortal sin, should not receive communion until obtaining absolution by confession to a priest. To receive communion improperly is in itself a mortal sin.

The Church defines "mortal sin", not individual members. For Catholics, sexual activity of any kind with anyone you are not married to is considered mortal sin. "Marriage", in this instance, refers to sacramental marriage, not to civil marriage. So, remarried divorced persons, single persons, unmarried gay persons, same-sex married persons, Catholic priests, nuns, widows, teenagers, etc. are all in the same boat, as there is no one they can have sex with and still be in the state of grace necessary to receive communion.

It is the responsibility of each member of these groups to conduct themselves properly, rely upon the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) and abstain from the Eucharist when they are not able to properly receive it.

One abstains from the Eucharist either by remaining seated in the pew when others receive communion, or by lining up with the others and requesting a blessing instead of communion. There is no shame in requesting a blessing, since doing so shows that you respect the Eucharist for what it is, you believe that the blessing of the priest has value, you accept your obligation to attend mass even when it is not possible to receive communion, and you are willing to follow the prescribed protocol, rather than insist on making up your own rules.

It is NOT the place for any lay Catholic to judge his neighbor, make assumptions about the sex lives of strangers, guess about whether certain people are in a state of grace or not, or spend any amount of time or energy whatsoever fretting about the sins of others when those limited resources are better spent worrying about yourself and your own sins.

Answer 4

Of course they can.