The Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM) a national glbt Catholic organization condemns the recent Vatican Document as hateful and mean-spirited, lacking in any reasonableness, and promoting division and violence.

The Vatican has condemned countries that allow gay marriages, by saying the inhabitants of those countries are people with "profoundly disordered minds", and this is according to the Vatican's most recent homophobic document. The document continues by saying "Every criticism, every reflection on homosexuality is seen almost as blasphemy, compared to a crime: the crime of homophobia," it says.

The document, as is the Vatican usual style uses a snappy title to hide the darker intentions of Cardinal Trujillo who parented this document. Cardinal Trujillo is one of the Vatican's most conservative prelates. The document's title is "Lexicon on Ambiguous and Colloquial Terms about Family Life and Ethical Questions".

The Lexicon is designed to combat what its authors regard as deceptive and ambiguous language, such as "voluntary interruption of pregnancy" for abortion and "reproductive health" for contraception.

The Lexicon's author Cardinal Trujillo has said "discrimination against women", reflected not concern for women but a desire to suggest that the family is where women's aspirations are abused. The RSM believes this attitude of Sexism is an example of why women are not ordained priests.

The document goes into a feeding frenzy condemning homosexuals for proclaiming their "normality", says homosexuality stems from an "Unresolved psychological conflict" and insists that condoms are not reliable protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

In response this anti glbt bigotry the Catholic Catechism says "Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained." . Furthermore the Catechism goes onto say "They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." The Cardinal appears to disagree with this.

Does the Vatican really pay any attention to what the Catechism says? The Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, is certainly not known for its enlightenment on sexual matters. However, before this group comments on gays/lesbians/bisexual/transgender people they should begin addressing the moral corruption in the Vatican for allowing our Cardinals, Bishops and priests to sexual molest children.

To say that glbt people have no social worth is to call for more violence to be directed at the glbt communities around the world. How can educated people not shake their heads when they hear an official Pontifical Commission say those who want to give homosexuals the same legal rights in society as heterosexuals "deny a psychological problem which makes homosexuality against the social fabric?"

The Rainbow Sash Movement condemns this Lexicon as another link in the chain of Vatican homophobia, and hypocrisy. The Lexicon is an example of how out of touch it is with recent knowledge in the arena of sexuality, and the sciences that have developed logical data. The Vatican should understand that the Church needs to be the opposite of callousness. This Lexicon is just a blatant tool of repression, hiding behind the hypocritical pious morality of Vatican Officials

We found the tone of this Lexicon to be hateful, and embarrassing for the many practicing glbt/straight Catholics and their families. We are in the Holy Season of Lent, and Jesus must certainly weep at this betrayal.

Rainbow Sash Movement