Typical Pastoral Guidelines for Ministry to Homosexuals This essay examines a typical Catholic parish and presents the guidelines used by this parish in the treatment of types gay/lesbian. The guidelines illustrate the welcoming attitude of this Church towards gays. The guidelines are pastoral in nature, intended to help priests and parish ministers fulfill their obligation to serve with kindness and conscientiousness all those who come to the Church with real needs and honest hope. They do not presuppose any particular social or psychological analysis of sexuality in our society, except for the generally accepted premise that individuals choose and can change their sexual orientation and must understand and integrate it into their life of faith and conscience. The guidelines accept, without elaborating, the perennial teaching of the Catholic Church on sexual morality, conscience and personal sin. The deeper investigation of the foundation of this teaching and the contemporary challenges to it must be left to the educational efforts proposed in these guidelines. The guidelines also accept the Catholic Church's teaching on social ethics, but do not propose a program of social action. When the voice or action of the Church in religious or secular matters is needed, appropriate parish and diocese agents will be informed and enlisted to defend fundamental human and civil rights against social or legal discrimination, harassment, intimidation or violence. the guidelines do not resolve the terminology dilemma. The term "homosexual" seems clear and objective, but some have come to consider it too clinical and impersonal, with unwarranted implications of pathology, inferiority or alienation. "Gay" and "the... half of the document... will establish its own organization and procedures to address its principal duties: (a) to inform and advise the bishop on all aspects of this ministry; (b) to obtain the interest and cooperation of diocesan agencies in the implementation of these guidelines; (c) recommend, promote or provide, in consultation with these agencies, pastoral resources committee will regularly evaluate and recommend publications for support these educational programs or personal study resources for pastoral ministers. The Pastoral Resources Committee will evaluate, in accordance with these guidelines, organizations to serve, consult or enlist in this ministry. Here it is: a pastoral approach to gays /. les members.WORKS CITED:"Living in Christ Jesus", 1976 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops