Brave Bishop Soto

The first headlines I read:

• "Bishop Soto stuns national homosexual ministries conference"
• "At least five members of the audience walked out"
• "It is sinful"

So what did Bishop Jaimi Soto, the coadjutor bishop of Sacramento, do that was so bad?

He simply stated Church teaching.

Rod Dreher introduces the situation succinctly:

"Bill Cork brings us a real Daniel-in-the-lion's-den story about a Catholic bishop acting like a Catholic bishop should. The occasion was the annual meeting of the National Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries, an organization whose existence is, shall we say, at cross-purposes with Catholic teaching on sexuality. California Catholic Daily reports that there were concerns among orthodox Catholics that when Sacramento Coadjutor Bishop Jaime Soto agreed to speak to the group, he would somehow legitimate them -- but that's not what happened."

"Surprised by truth! Good for Bishop Soto, not only for having the courage to speak Catholic truth to this group, but for having the grace to stick around and listen. Both were acts of charity and witness. It's rather telling that a board member of the heterodox organization was shocked and scandalized that a bishop showed up and taught what the Church teaches. As a Catholic priest friend writes this morning, "One has to ask why it is that so many dioceses have gay and lesbian ministers who are dissenters from Church teaching." Yes, one does."

Bill Cork:

The National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries met in San Diego last week and got a surprise: Bishop Jaime Soto, coadjutor bishop of Sacramento, “courageously but gently” reminded them of Christian teaching on human sexuality.

“Sexual relations between people of the same sex can be alluring for omosexuals, but it deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all,” Bishop Soto said. “For this reason, it is sinful. Married love is a beautiful, heroic expression of faithful, life-giving, life-creating love. It should not be accommodated and manipulated for those who would believe that they can and have a right to mimic its unique expression.”

Some walked out. Most sat in silence. A tiny few applauded. Afterwards, there was time for response and questions. 80% expressed their disappointment with Soto.

You can read the full text of the bishops comments here. Extensive CNA summary here.

I profiled Bishop Soto briefly back in October 2007 when he "escap[ed] out from Bishop Tod Brown."