As I write this column today (May 18) there are several things that are on my mind. First, I am struck by an article in the Express News by Abe Levy about a play to be produced at the San Pedro Playhouse next month called  Corpus Christi. The play was written by Texas play-write Terrence McNally. In this play Jesus and the disciples are presented as gay men, and Jesus is referred to as the “King of Queers.” Archbishop Gustavo and the San Antonio Community of Congregations have voiced their concern and objections to this production. We do not challenge the legal freedom in a pluralistic society to produce various works of art or to express cultural and political ideas. What we object to is the gross lack of sensitivity to the sacred character of Jesus who is worshipped, or at least revered and admired by many hundreds of thousands of people in our community. We cannot imagine that offensive vulgarities would be tolerated by the community at large toward any other group!

Perhaps the fault of our era is the confusion of freedom with license. In this sense, license means that you can do anything you want, anytime you want. No one has the right to stop you unless you are harming them, personally. There is no idea of a common or public good. Freedom, on the other hand, is only known in the exercise of making actual choices with a view to their consequences, and with a broader view to the good of both the person and the neighbor (common good). A free society is a society with a dedication to the good, and is able to employ self-restraint for the common good. It can exercise choices in a positive way. A licentious society just can’t stop itself from doing anything, no matter how much harm is done to others. Licentiousness is a distortion of freedom because it lacks the ability to self restrain for the sake of the common good.

I should point out that leaders in San Antonio’s gay and lesbian community have raised their voices in concern about this play as well. Their criticism is that it reinforces the worst stereotypes of what it means to be a person with a same sex attraction.

So, the question is, what good is this play doing? Do we want the San Pedro Playhouse to produce this? Do you want them receiving public funding, as well as funding from some of the city’s artistic foundations to support this? They certainly have the “freedom” to do this. You also have the freedom to tell them how you see it. As our own Bishop Cantu has said, “artistic works should elevate our spirit to a greater good.” Sometimes art can sting our consciences in a good way by pointing out truths that make us rethink our point of view. In that sense, controversial art can be good. Other times its just plain adolescent and offensive. – Fr. Larry