Courage International

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Courage International is an apostolate and Christian ministry of the Roman Catholic Church, which ministers to LGBT Catholics, encouraging such people to abstain from acting on their sexual desires and to live chastely. Courage also sponsors an outreach program called Encourage, which ministers to relatives and friends of persons with same-sex attractions in order to help them live chaste while they can still have lifetime partners.

Contents

[edit] History

Terence Cardinal Cooke as Archbishop of New York City, conceived the ministry as a spiritual support system which would assist same-sex attracted Catholics in adhering to Vatican directives on sexual behaviour.

Cooke invited the moral theologian Father John Harvey of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales to come to New York to begin the work of Courage with Father Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The first meeting was held in September, 1980 at the Shrine of Mother Seton in South Ferry.

[edit] Extent of the organization

Courage has chapters in many U.S. cities and several foreign countries, and has official recognition from the Church, having the endorsement of the Roman Curia.

In the United States, Courage International, referred to by those associated as simply "Courage", is financially supported by the Archdiocese of New York and by donations. Individual chapters are self-supporting and exist with the permission of their diocesan Bishop. Courage was recommended as a support-group for Catholics with homosexual attractions in the 2006 document by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care".[1]

In 2005, Courage International formed a Spanish-speaking branch, based in Cuernavaca, Morelos called Courage Latino. It currently extends to seven countries: Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and Venezuela.

Courage International is to be distinguished from two other organizations with similar names:

  • Courage International bears no affiliation to Courage UK, also called Courage Trust, and is not to be confused with it.
  • The Christian business ministry, Courage International [2], is not to be confused with it.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • Courage: official site in the United States
  • Courage Latino: official site for Spanish-speaking Catholics

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care", released at the November 2006 bishops' meeting. Courage and Encourage are mentioned on p. 22 n. 44. [1]

[edit] Additional sources

  • Belgau, Ron. "Sodom and the City of God." New Oxford Review, June 2003. The author, spokesman for Courage in the Archdiocese of Seattle, criticizes the use of stereotypes and hate-speech directed against people experiencing same-sex attraction.
  • Harvey, John F. The Homosexual Person: New Thinking in Pastoral Care. Ignatius Press, 1987. ISBN 0898701694. Harvey is the founder of Courage International.
  • Holton, Robert. "Homosexuals With the Courage to be Different". Our Sunday Visitor, vol. 81 p. 21, August 30, 1992. Profile of the group.
  • Jacquet, Louis F. "Courage: a support group for Catholic Homosexuals". The Liguorian, vol 77, pp. 16-20, May 1989.
  • Kenny, Joseph. "Catholic Church Has Room for Those Struggling With Homosexuality." Catholic News Service, August 9, 2006. [3]
  • Morrison, David. Beyond Gay. Our Sunday Visitor, 1999. ISBN 0879736909. Morrison is the founder and moderator of "Courage Online", an online support group sponsored by Courage International.
  • Nugent, Robert. "Courage Curbs Gays". National Catholic Reporter, vol. 21, p. 10, January 18, 1985. An article critical of Courage.
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