Father Brian Gannon, the executive director of Courage International, a Catholic apostolate that ministers to persons experiencing same-sex attraction, on June 1 cited the analogy about the Tower of Babel in Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical to once again strongly push back against a synodal document released May 5 about same-sex attraction — a document that Father Gannon says is “intellectually dishonest.”
Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas opens “with a potent biblical analogy,” Father Gannon wrote in Courage’s June emailed newsletter, remarking, “When building a human community, he asks: are we building a new Tower of Babel in spite of God or a restored Jerusalem with God as central? In other words, do we build human communities on earth by ignoring God or by letting God be God?”
Courage International rejects “the model of Babel,” Father Gannon wrote. “That Christ and His Bride, Holy Mother Church, is the foundation for our community of spiritual friendship, chastity and authentic Christian love. This is why Courage has been able to accomplish so much good, while also getting scorn from a world bent on building new Towers of Babel.”
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Father Gannon remarked that the past month “has been extraordinary,” referencing the release of the controversial synod study group document.
Zeale News previously reported that the synodal study group that published the document was one of 10 Pope Francis created in 2024 to examine issues set aside from the main assemblies of the Synod on Synodality. The report included two testimonies from men in so-called same-sex “marriages” and sparked controversy over the testimonies’ messages that contradicted Catholic teaching. A spokesperson for the General Secretariat of the synod said in a statement in mid-May that the working groups were autonomous and thus their reports “cannot be attributed to the Synod Secretariat,” effectively distancing the synod from the controversial report.
One of the testimonies, as Zeale News reported, alleged that Courage pushed “reparative therapy” and that its meetings were noticeably filled with depression, loneliness, and hopelessness. Courage afterward denounced the report as committing “calumny and detraction,” noting that it never has engaged in reparative therapy.
In the June newsletter, Father Gannon wrote that the Synod study group document “is methodologically deficient and thus intellectually dishonest; it uses only two men who extol sinful relationships as representative of all who experience same sex attraction.”
He added that Courage is also “slandered and falsely accused” in the document and expressed appreciation for the forceful pushback from Courage’s members and executive board and the supportive articles from mainstream Catholic press.
He said these responses and articles have “been heartening and illustrate a seeming spiritual constant: be faithful to Christ, radically faithful, and don’t be surprised by attacks from the pagan world. But despite the stormy gales, Christ is ever present, walking on the churning sea, and we also can walk upon the sea safely, if we keep our eyes fixed on Christ like Peter.”
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Contrasting the Church’s celebration of the Month of the Sacred Heart with Pride Month, Father Gannon argued that the latter reflects the same spirit of rebellion symbolized by the Tower of Babel.
“The Sacred Heart reminds us of Christ’s infinite love despite our weaknesses,” Father Gannon wrote. “He suffers on the cross, and His heart is pierced by a lance, instigating the blood and water of sacraments. Thus, at the very height of human rebellion against God, He offers only mercy in return.”
People must freely choose Jesus’ message of love through repentance and accepting His moral teaching, remembering that Christ has promised “His patient accompaniment every moment,” Father Gannon added.
“The authors of this terrible document think they can build a new Tower of Babel and reinvent God and sin. Courage International takes the road of authentic love, mercy and freedom via Christ’s cross! Radical fidelity to Christ is the gospel call, but radical mercy is always there to pick us up,” he concluded. “In modern Babel, it claims sin sets us free. In the City of God, we know chastity in Christ is what truly heals us and sets us free.”