Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, a Mexican cardinal and emeritus president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health (1996-2009), has said in an interview with Pontifex, that homosexuals and transvestites “will never enter into the reign of God,” appealing to St. Paul.  “[T]rans e omosessuali non entreranno mai nel Regno dei Cieli, e non lo dico io, ma San Paolo.”  Later in the interview he says that he believes homosexuals are not born that way but become that. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, however, begs to differ, offering gays and lesbians who live chastely the hope of “Christian perfection.” (2359) “By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.”  

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.