Recently I wrote about a big hubbub caused by the Catholic Church’s reaction to the play “Corpus Christi” which portrayed Jesus as a gay man. I was surprised that the main objection they had to the play was that it suggested Jesus was sexually active; they did not care if it was heterosexual or homosexual. At the time, I suggested it had something to do with priestly celibacy.
This week, a Catholic letter writer, objected to her Church’s criticism of the play and said: “Christ was not a Catholic, and he is not the property of the Catholic Church”, Susan Nial, Charleston, SC.
I take those words to be profound. I will take it even further by pointing out that not only was Jesus NOT a Catholic, he was NOT even a Christian; he was born a Jew and he died a Jew. The Christian Gospels were written to somehow connect Jesus to Christianity but the bottom line is that there is absolutely NO evidence that Jesus left his Jewish faith to start a NEW religion.
Ms. Nial has every right to point out the utter arrogance of the Catholic Church to even suggest that they know anything at all about Jesus’ sexuality or for that matter, anything about Jesus’ life; the Gospels are not history books.
Susan Nial’s statement that Christ is not the property of the Catholic Church speaks volumes and it reinforces my speculation that many Catholics in America do not recognize Catholic leaders in America or in Rome, as the final authority on the “truth” about Jesus or even the Christian faith.
Reading some of the other letters on this subject I was informed that there are many gay Catholics and that they viewed the play as a form of dissent from within the Church and not an attack on the Church. That explains to me partially why Catholics that disagree with the Church on fundamental issues continue to remain observant Catholics.
This week, a Catholic letter writer, objected to her Church’s criticism of the play and said: “Christ was not a Catholic, and he is not the property of the Catholic Church”, Susan Nial, Charleston, SC.
I take those words to be profound. I will take it even further by pointing out that not only was Jesus NOT a Catholic, he was NOT even a Christian; he was born a Jew and he died a Jew. The Christian Gospels were written to somehow connect Jesus to Christianity but the bottom line is that there is absolutely NO evidence that Jesus left his Jewish faith to start a NEW religion.
Ms. Nial has every right to point out the utter arrogance of the Catholic Church to even suggest that they know anything at all about Jesus’ sexuality or for that matter, anything about Jesus’ life; the Gospels are not history books.
Susan Nial’s statement that Christ is not the property of the Catholic Church speaks volumes and it reinforces my speculation that many Catholics in America do not recognize Catholic leaders in America or in Rome, as the final authority on the “truth” about Jesus or even the Christian faith.
Reading some of the other letters on this subject I was informed that there are many gay Catholics and that they viewed the play as a form of dissent from within the Church and not an attack on the Church. That explains to me partially why Catholics that disagree with the Church on fundamental issues continue to remain observant Catholics.
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