Coptic Church Rejects Homosexuality, Offers Pastoral Support for Those Struggling
Gerges Mounir Hanna – OCP News Service – 09/03/2024
Cairo – Egypt: The Coptic Orthodox Church has issued a statement outlining its position on homosexuality. This statement was published after the synodal discussion on the topic.
The full Statement:
According to the Bible, God created man to be distinct and unique. The scripture says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (Gen 1:26). This means that God intended, from the very beginning, for man to reflect His holiness, righteousness, and freedom; “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth’” (Gen 1:27,28)
The Church believes that God created humans, both male and female, in a state of holiness, and united them in the sacred covenant of marriage because God Himself is Holy; “therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24)
God’s call for mankind to live a holy life continued to persist, as outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Hebrews 12:14 and 1 Thessalonians 4: 7.
God has given mankind free will to live according to His divine will and divine design for marriage between a man and a woman.
Whoever suffers from same-sex attraction but controls this desire is praised for their efforts and is left subject to the same temptations as heterosexual individuals, such as thoughts, sight, and attractions. For someone who struggles with homosexuality, it is essential to seek true repentance. The same goes for someone who falls into the sin of adultery due to their heterosexual nature. Both individuals require spiritual and emotional support, which prove effective in addressing these tendencies. If someone chooses to embrace their homosexual tendency however, and refuses to seek spiritual and emotional help, but continues to break God’s commandments, in that case, their situation becomes the same as someone who is living in adultery. In such cases, they must be warned and advised to abstain from communion, seeking repentance.
Since the Church believes that the Holy Bible, in both its two Testaments, is the word of truth, valid for all ages, and forbids same-sex sexual practices, for instance, Saint Paul says “For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:26-28). In this context we also consider other references such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Leviticus 18: 22 and Leviticus 20: 13.
Accordingly, the Coptic Orthodox Church strongly opposes all forms of sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage, which it sees as sexual distortion. It firmly rejects the notion that different cultural contexts can be used to justify same-sex relationships under the pretext of human freedom, as it believes this to be damaging to humanity. While the Church believes in human rights and freedoms, it also stresses that these freedoms are not absolute and must not be used to violate the laws of the Creator.
The Church affirms its commitment to fulfilling its pastoral role in aiding individuals who have homosexual tendencies. It also emphasises that it does not reject them, but instead, provides support and assistance to help them achieve an emotional and spiritual solution. The Church places its trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Thursday 7th March 2024
Source: Coptic Orthodox Church
