Who is Father Matthieu Raffray?
Raffray is a well-known priest who has a growing apostolate on the internet and social media aimed especially at young French-speaking people.
He has more than 60,000 followers on Instagram, more than 22,000 on YouTube, and more than 21,000 on X.
He is a pro-life and pro-family advocate and has published French-language books such as “Myths and Lies of Progressivism” (2020) and more recently “The Greatest of Combats,” with which he seeks to answer the fundamental and existential questions of life.
Raffray, 45, was born in 1979 and is one of nine children. He studied mathematics before being ordained a priest in 2009.
He holds a doctorate in philosophy and teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
According to the publication European Conservative, he rose to fame in 2020 after an interview with French YouTuber Baptiste Marchais in which he defended the return to a “virile Catholicism” and the feeling of patriotism among the Catholic faithful.
What does the Catholic Church teach about homosexuality?
Catholic teaching on homosexuality is summarized in paragraphs 2357, 2358, and 2359 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The Church teaches that men and women with same-sex attraction “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”
The catechism notes that homosexual inclination is “objectively disordered” and constitutes for those who experience it “a trial.”
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Based on sacred Scripture, the catechism states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “they do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.” Consequently, “under no circumstances can they be approved.”
“Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection,” the catechism explains.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Walter Sánchez Silva is a senior writer for ACI Prensa (https://www.aciprensa.com). With more than 15 years of experience, he has reported from important ecclesial events in Europe, Asia and Latin America during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
E-mail: walter@aciprensa.com
