ABSTRACT
It is surely inadvisable, if not impossible, to address the issues of sexual orienta tion and homosexual behaviour independently of one’s more general theological and moral views about human sexuality and sexual behaviour. Certainly the Roman Cath olic tradition has not done so. I will therefore proceed in this essay in three stages. First, I will indicate the sources of Roman Catholic moral thought and how I under stand the teaching about human sexuality which was developed by the historical tradi tion from those sources,1 with special attention to sexual orientation and/or preference and sexual conduct. Second, I will explain the moral stance which the Roman Catho lic community, through its official teachers,2 has taken on the issues of homosexual orientation and conduct at this time in history. Finally, I will touch briefly on the implications of this official teaching for the rights of homosexual persons in both church and state.3
