We are sexual beings. Even the celibate knows himself as either male or female. The word sex is often wrongly reduced to activity. It is actually expressive of our identity or who we are. It is for this reason that the U.S. Bishops went forward with the “Marriage Matters” campaign against so-called same sex marriage. Marriage is an exclusive bond between a man and a woman.
Reductionists perceive sexuality as an action and one that can be measured or judged. It sacrifices the element of mystery as a quality of a person’s inner being. It is also narrowed to consequences. Pregnancy and birth are inhibited as one would a disease. The prospect of a stable or singular relationship is often spurned in favor of momentary pleasure or a thill that might employ any number of sexual partners or none at all. People “have” sex instead of “being” their sex.
I recall a paperback fantasy story (the title escapes me) in which those cast in hell became more bestial. Everything and everyone became more eroticized in hell. Women became more endowed in breasts and curves. The men discovered that their genitals grew and they lost almost all self-control. One man tried to sneak into heaven but raced back to hell when he observed the gradual disappearance of his male sex organs. Despite these peculiar elements, the author tried to avoid the more grievous vulgarities in his composition so as to promote certain moral truths. While interesting fiction, I would contend that he got the situation basically wrong. We become more and not less of what we are with judgment in the afterlife; men and women in heaven will never stop being male or female. Joseph is still the foster “father” of Jesus and Mary will always be the blessed “mother” and the New Eve. There will be no concupiscence in heaven. There will be no marrying or giving in marriage— except for the marriage banquet of the Lamb. There will be perfect self-control. There will be unity in Christ. We will relate to one another as brothers and sisters, men and women— not as sexless drones.
While angels may be without gender, such is not the state of human beings. Male and female is how we are made and it is how we will be remade. God’s grace will perfect us but we will still be who and what we are. The divine economy will give us a share in immortality but God will not unmake our identity.
Frequently in these arguments, critics will point to St. Paul’s statement in Galatians 3:28 that in Christ “there is neither male nor female.” This does not mean that men and women are interchangeable or utterly the same. What it does say is that men and women alike are called by Christ to be disciples. We all have the capacity for faith and to benefit from the saving graces of baptism. I have engaged in past debates where critics used this passage to argue for women’s ordination. However, it does not apply to anything more than our universal priesthood in baptism. The tradition coming down from Christ and the apostles is that the ordained priesthood is reserved to men. Men are seen as living icons for Christ. They signify the divine bridegroom at the altar with the Church as his bride. A woman priest would suffer from the same critique as would same-sex marriages: the marriage analogy would be transformed into a lesbian caricature that could only feign priesthood. The true priesthood, the Mass and sacramental absolution would be lost. Gender is not an accidental element but a substantial quality of human identity.
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