Bishop Schneider: And so the Church will do this again after this crisis.
Michael J. Matt: I want to set up our final segment of the interview to talk about your book, but I have two questions I wanted you to address. The first is the question of scandal. When you think about all the talk during the synod about blessing gay unions, whether they will or will not do it, it seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle what the Pope is not saying: the scandal of people in a homosexual relationship living together. The Catholic Church keeps saying it is not marriage, so they cannot be married, yet they are living together in sin.
At the very least, a scandal exists. But my question is, doesn’t this send a message to the entire world, especially to heterosexual young people, that if the Pope himself is deliberating whether or not to bless gay unions, he must have no problem with heterosexual cohabitation, because homosexuality is considered so much worse, crying out to heaven for vengeance? What kind of message and scandal does this send globally, especially to young people?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, I agree with your statement. Unfortunately, even a homosexual couple by itself sends a message promoting homosexuality and homosexual activity, which is against nature, reason, and the will of God. What is against the will of God and against nature profoundly harms the person. By joining a homosexual relationship, they are harming one another. They are attracted by homoerotic desires, which is against nature, and they are increasing this disorder. To bless them would mean that it is acceptable to promote this lifestyle, which is against humanity and against nature.
It is a grave irresponsibility of the hierarchy to even remotely promote this lifestyle, which is now a totalitarian, global ideology. It is also harmful and cruel to the two persons, because by blessing them, the Church would encourage them to continue sinning. This would be a blessing of sin, a grievous sin crying out to heaven for vengeance. This harms them spiritually. The first step to being a Christian is separation. A couple cannot be blessed in sin. Any Catholic may receive blessings individually, but not as a couple living in sin. The Church must give a clear message. When heterosexual couples live together in concubinage, they cannot receive a blessing for their union, because it would encourage adultery or fornication. Similarly, for same-sex couples, blessing them encourages fornication against nature.
Michael J. Matt: Do you accept the distinction the Holy Father continues to make? He says we are not talking about marriage; we believe marriage is between one man and one woman, but we may bless gay unions. Morally speaking, this seems like a distinction without a difference. They are still living together in sin. Is this a ruse?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, this is a deception, a cunning method. We are not children. We know they are living together to exercise their homosexual attraction. They join because of that attraction. It is the same as a man and a woman who are not married asking for a blessing for their cohabitation. Encouraging them to sin and invoking God’s blessing on a sinful situation is blasphemy and sacrilege.