Gay Sensibilities and High Mass

Andrew Sullivan recently commented on the natural connection between Catholic estethics and the sensory sorts of things that gay men (whether by nature or by social conditioning) appreciate.

I’ve often wondered how many straight Catholics fully appreciate how gay their church has always been. Especially in the old days. High Mass was, in its heyday, more elaborate and choreographed than a very melodramatic Broadway musical.

There was some negative reaction to this comment, along the lines of, “How superficial! To think that some people only go to church for the entertainment value!” That’s not what Sullivan is saying.  The point he’s making, and one that I try to make here, is that Catholicism has a fundamentally sensual approach to reality. And gays pay close attention to those sensory things, which makes for a lot of natural overlap.

If God really did become man and take our flesh to Himself, and even keep it after He ascended to His Father, then we need to take fleshly things (imagery, sound, smells, texture) seriously, especially in our religion. That doesn’t mean that High Mass is a sussed-up spiritual drag show or grand opera with crucifixes, even if it ought to be pressing some of the same buttons.