​Lately I have been asked by more than a few people from our parish about gender dysphoria and same sex attraction with those we love and how to understand or respond to it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that people affected by these “tendencies are not negligible” and that it is a “very real trial for them”. We are further taught that they “must be “accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity without unjust discrimination” (CCC2358).  Through God's loving guidance in the Church and her teaching we have resources to help our loved ones live a life that God has called them to live. 
The following are Catholic articles, Lansing Diocese information, and resources you can click on and read if you desire more information on this topic. The information is titled in black below with the website you can click on underneath. I hope this helps. May God bless us everyone.

   1. "Courage International", A Roman Catholic apostolate for people who experience same sex attraction, and Encourage: support for family members of same sex attracted people.  These sites are also on Diocese of Lansing website, see below. You may have to copy and paste this first one. 
      https://couragerc.org
      https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/news/read-truth-love-introducing-courage-and-encourage
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   2. “Theological Guide on the Human Person and Gender Dysphoria” – Diocese of Lansing: https://www.flipsnack.com/dolmi/theological-guide-the-human-person-and-gender-dysphoria.html
   3. Bishop Boyea: “Policy on the Human Body as a Constitutive Aspect of the Human Person”:     https://www.dolcloud.org/index.php/s/wawjQk0CkHv6bZD#pdfviewer

   4. Diocese of Lansing: “Policy on the Human Person and Gender Dysphoria”:      https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/news/love-truth-authentic-happiness-new-policy-human-person-and-gender-dysphoria

    5. Bishop Barron: “Tolerance and Making Distinctions”:  
    https://faithmag.com/love-tolerance-and-making-distinctions

    6. Catholic Support Group:      
    [email protected]. 

    7. Parents of Children with Gender Confusion:     https://catholictimescolumbus.org/news/hannah-heil/support-group-helps-parents-of-children-with-gender-confusion

    8. Catechism of the Catholic Church: CCC2357-2359    
https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/568/

    9. Faith Magazine – Bishop Boyea: Our Bodily Integrity as Human Beings (see below):

A: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacrament of healing in unity. A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible grace. Sacramental grace in Reconciliation is a gift of God that flows through His Church and her priests. Jesus told his Apostles: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23). Our bishops are the direct successors to the Apostles and, together with their priests, they share the same mission and sacramental powers given to the original Twelve. Additionally, Paul reminds us that priests are God’s ambassadors, that Jesus works through them in a special way through the sacraments to bring us His grace. Paul says of priests, “We are ambassadors of Christ, God making His appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2Cor5:20).
While Jesus gave priests and bishops the authority to forgive sins, in most cases He did not also give them the ability to read minds. In order to offer sacramental absolution, it is necessary for priest-confessors to be made aware of the penitent’s sins. This typically happens through a spoken confession.
Confessions spoken aloud give the penitent the opportunity to express real contrition and to acknowledge their sin. Additionally, one requirement for absolution within the sacrament of reconciliation is true sorrow for our acts and a resolve to avoid sin in the future. Perfect contrition is when we confess out of love for God and neighbor, imperfect contrition is when we confess out of fear for our own salvation alone. God calls us to rise in love for God and others in perfect contrition, acknowledging our faults in humble need of grace. The grace we receive in Reconciliation helps us grow stronger in love and perfect contrition the more we frequent the sacrament.
Mortal sin requires this grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Mortal sin breaks unity with God and others, the grace of the sacrament reconciles us with God and neighbor. Venial sin weakens our unity and also should be confessed. The Sacrament of Reconciliation also gives us the grace to strengthen us against venial sin the next time we are tempted. If venial sin is not acknowledged and confessed in our lives, it can lead to mortal sin.  
We are made body and soul. God uses the whole person both visible and spiritual to heal and restore, as He presents Himself both visible and invisible through His Church. God calls us to unity through His Church. He works through His priests in a special way to shower His gift of grace on us to help us grow in love and unity. His priests are a visible sign of His invisible presence working toward that unity in love. 

​Recently a parishioner asked what indulgences were. The Catechism defines indulgences as “the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven”.  For this reason, indulgences are closely linked to the effects of the Sacrament of Confession (CCC1471). The Catechism says the faithful person who desires to obtain an indulgence must be properly disposed under prescribed conditions through the help of the Church. One of these helps is the Sacrament of Confession. Eternal punishment of mortal sin is cleansed by the Sacrament of Confession. Confession also helps the faithful be more disposed to detachment to sin. But, all sin even venial sin has consequences for the faithful even after Confession both here and after we die called temporal punishment. The consequence of temporal punishment caused by sin is the attachment that remains to sin even after Confession and the forgiveness of the sin. Patiently bearing sufferings and trials, striving in prayer, mercy, and charity and various practices of penance in this life can benefit in detachment of sin and should be seen as a grace from God (CCC1473). Also, “recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin” (CCC1475). The ultimate purification we go through in Purgatory frees the soul of this attachment and or temporal punishment of sin. Indulgence is a remission of some or all of the temporal punishment that comes with attachments of sin. An indulgence may be plenary or partial. If it is partial it removes only part of the temporal punishment due to sin if it is plenary it removes all punishment due to sin up to that point.  The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the saints who are in purgatory (CCC1471).