U.S. Bishops don't see gays as "morally defective".

AT ITS FALL MEETING IN Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued new guidelines on pastoral care for homosexual Catholics. Although calling it wrong to make people with a "homosexual inclination" feel rejected and unwelcome, the bishops reiterated old teachings about homosexuals and homosexuality that cause grave concern to gay-rights advocates.

DignityUSA, a group representing gay Catholics in the U.S., said that the bishops' document, "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care," was "deeply flawed." The gay group is planning to issue an alternative set of guidelines.

The bishops retained the right to deny roles of service to gay people, reiterated their opposition to same-sex marriages and civil unions and stated that although the church would baptize children adopted by same-sex couples, "there must be a well-founded hope that the children will be brought up in the Catholic religion." Also included in the guidelines is the view that although gay people may desire to reveal their "tendencies" to their friends and families, such a statement would be damaging to their parishes. The bishops said the church does not view homosexuals as disordered or "rendered morally defective by [their] inclination." Despite the significant number of homosexuals working for the church hierarchy in a range of roles, it appears that the committee that established the guidelines did not consult with gay men or lesbians in preparing the document.