Contra Mary Hunt | National Catholic Reporter

Contra Mary Hunt | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: The problem with the sexual teachings of the Church, no matter how old, is that they claim a basis in natural law (indeed, the scriptural teachings on such matters do not read like revelation but like current natural law arguments) without following the main precept of natural law - which is that our understanding of it can change with new information.  We now know more about both homosexuality and the problems of the intersexed (formerly called hermaphordites - such a condition is an explanation of virgin birth, by the way).  The Church (and the Pope) cannot have it both ways.  One must either respond to new evidence when promulgating natural law (which is actually the province of individuals, not authorities) or one can admit that one is legislating for the group and that their teaching is entirely relativistic.  Benedict XVI never understood that - which was sadly ironic.  Francis might be able to make the leap of faith into truth on this issue.  Organizationally, if the Church had more autocephalous patriarchies then the English speaking world in the global north and in the global south might have seperate leaders and deal with these issues differently, form homosexuality to the ordination of women.