St. Thomas Aquinas on Homosexuality.
It is against natural law.
“Therefore, since by the unnatural vices man transgresses that which has been determined by nature with regard to the use of venereal actions, it follows that in this matter this sin is the gravest of all. After it comes incest, which is contrary to the natural respect which we owe persons related to us.
“Just as the ordering of right reason proceeds from man, so the order of nature is from God Himself: wherefore in sins contrary to nature, whereby the very order of nature is violated, an injury is done to God, the Author of nature.
“Hence, Augustine says (Conf. III, 8): ‘Those foul offenses that are against nature should be everywhere and at all times detested and punished, such as were those of the people of Sodom, which should all nations commit, they should all stand guilty of the same crime, by the law of God, which hath not so made men that they should so abuse one another. For even that very intercourse which should be between God and us is violated, when that same nature, of which He is the author, is polluted by the perversity of lust.’
“Vices against nature are also against God, and are so much more grievous than the depravity of sacrilege, as the order impressed on human nature is prior to and more firm than any subsequently established order.
“The nature of the species is more intimately united to each individual, than any other individual is. Wherefore sins against the specific nature are more grievous. “Wherefore among sins against nature, the most grievous is the sin of bestiality, because use of the due species is not observed. After this comes the sin of Sodomy, because use of the right sex is not observed (ibid., II-II, q. 154, a. 12). - St. Thomas on Homosexuality
(Note: I am not in agreement with everything the website I link to posts, they tend to be extremely critical of the Pope and everything VII. Nonetheless, solid doctrinal pieces, such as the above section from St. Thomas are readily available.)
October 15th, 2007 at 7:57 am
I love that story of St. Thomas. There is still a valid sacramental - the Cord of St. Thomas, worn about the waist as an outward statement of chastity according to one’s state in life. There is also the cord of St. Philomena. We need these sacramentals and devotions in our time more than ever.