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Statement on status of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities Print E-mail
By The Catholic Spirit   
Thursday, 23 October 2008
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has released the following statement clarifying the status of a group known as the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities:

Recent communications by the group called the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM) have erroneously portrayed its past and current status as it relates to the Roman Catholic Church in general and to this archdiocese in particular.

These communications are a matter of concern to us and require that the archdiocese clearly state that it does not support, or recognize in any way, CPCSM as a Catholic organization. Nor does the archdiocese endorse CPCSM’s recent efforts to promote an advocacy agenda contrary to that of this archdiocese and to the Catholic Church.

Archbishop Harry Flynn took great care not to imply support of CPCSM.  The archdiocese, in keeping with Catholic moral teaching, has consistently supported efforts within the church to show special concern and to direct pastoral attention toward persons with same-sex attractions and to advance their spiritual welfare. Thus, where CPCSM has made similar efforts, the archdiocese obviously concurs.

However, CPCSM has also aggressively advocated changes in the moral and sacramental-theological traditions of the church that are wholly at odds with church teaching. Because of this disregard for church tradition and magisterium, Archbishop Flynn did not support nor did he recognize this group.

Archbishop John Nienstedt, in harmony with his predecessor and other U.S. bishops, does not support, endorse or recognize CPCSM.  Because the group’s stated agenda is to deny the church’s traditional moral teachings and creates confusion among the faithful, the archdiocese believes strongly that it must reassert its opposition to CPCSM.

When any group chooses the word “Catholic” in its chosen name or acronym it should not be assumed that their group has gained authorization of that affiliation or acceptance by the church or archdiocese. The name “Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities” is a prime example of that caution.  In simple terms, it is not an agency of the Roman Catholic Church.

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