Q: Can I be baptized into the Catholic Church as a non-celibate lesbian? I’m in a long-term relationship with another woman but have discovered great peace and meaning in the Catholic faith and would like to be initiated as a full member of the Church. I am aware that receiving Communion as a non-celibate homosexual would be considered sacrilege, but is it possible to be baptized? To what extent can I engage with the Church at this time? — R.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:

It’s good that you are attracted to the Catholic faith. That shows the Holy Spirit is working in the heart of you, his beloved daughter.

Undergoing baptism and becoming Catholic would be a person’s way of saying she embraces Church teachings and recognizes the faith as true.

It sounds as though you are not at that point yet, since you don’t seem ready to give up homosexual behavior, which isn’t part of God’s plan for creation.

But don’t despair. Even St. Augustine struggled to cut with his former ways before fully embracing the Catholic faith (“Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet!”).

My short advice is to intensify your prayer life and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Feel free to attend Mass (but refraining from Communion, of course).

And try studying the basis for the Church’s sexual ethics.

You might look at Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body, by Pope John Paul II. 

A more accessible read might be Theology of the Body for Beginners.

You might also consider reaching out to Courage International, which ministers to people with same-sex attraction.

Even if you aren’t 100% on board yet with the faith, you might consider contacting a nearby Catholic parish and asking about its OCIA program for potential converts.

I hope some of this helps. Count on my prayers.