During Christmas time it's important that the Catholic Church remembers the meaning of the holiday, argues Amelia Sanders.

Christmas is often seen as the Christian season of acceptance, love and toleration. Yet last Wednesday marked the start of the ‘Scotland For Marriage’ campaign against same-sex marriages, which is being supported by the Catholic Church. This action is a response to the Scottish government’s consultation on the possibility of religious ceremonies for civil partnerships and the introduction of same sex marriages. If legislation goes ahead, religious bodies that choose not to support gay marriage will not be required to perform these weddings or civil partnerships.

Even though I am Catholic, I find it impossible to support many of the views that the church espouses. It is astonishing that an organisation in the modern world can have someone at its head who described homosexuality as a ‘disorder’; this would not be accepted had this been the remark of the leader of a country or a CEO of a large corporation. When one considers that this is an institution whose reason for existing is a moral one, the maintenance of certain stances becomes even more incomprehensible. Surely the idea of love thy neighbour allows for ensuring that said neighbour does not contract AIDS or can celebrate their commitment to the person that they love?

It is curious that many of the Church’s most controversial viewpoints are about sexual relations. The irony is that those telling us what to do about sex are precisely those who aren’t getting any. These are extremely personal issues with no real moral element to them, therefore the pettiness of the Church’s preoccupation with them is particularly stark when contrasted with all the preventable deaths from disease, war and starvation that take place every day. Despite all these social evils occurring daily, the chaps in the Vatican have found the time to sit down and form opinions on something that is really none of their business.

Of course, the Catholic Church is notoriously conservative – with their last attempt at radical social change probably taking place in the sixteenth century. It is perhaps too much to hope that they will suddenly start handing out condoms in Swaziland, but asking that they do not directly damage the well-being and happiness of those under their influence is a ridiculous request. It is fine for members of the Church to cherish certain beliefs about marriage or abortion, but it becomes a problem when those views start to do direct damage to others.

We cannot dismiss the Catholic Church as just another archaic institution like the monarchy – an old-fashioned body that seems a bit silly, but ultimately does no real harm and is good for fancy occasions. The Catholic Church retains its function and wields great influence; through its more than a billion followers and its vast wealth, which is perhaps unequalled by any other organisation in the world. However, sometimes this power operates to allow the perpetration of shocking acts. Some children in the Church’s care were sexually abused for decades over three continents without exposure. This was partially because it was an endemic problem within the organisation that those in charge undertook to hush up.

Although the Catholic Church’s views make one question this as a Christian season of acceptance, love and toleration, there is another pertinent image of Christmas: the soup kitchens and homeless projects that serve up a meal for those in need. This image springs to mind as an anti-consumerist option for those seeking a more worthwhile pursuit during the holiday season. The day-to-day running of these charities is often kept up by religious bodies, including Catholic parishes, working at a local level. This is just one of the hundreds of examples of the often unacknowledged good done by men and women acting within the Church at a grass roots level.

There seems to be a lack of cohesion between the doctrinal approach of the official position and the practical realities for those involved in the Church. Huge emphasis is placed on literally interpreting the lines of the Bible at the expense of looking at the consequences that certain approaches may have. There seems to be no place in the minds of those in charge for the balanced and contemporary approach seen in encounters with most Catholics.

For Christians, Advent is seen as even more important than Christmas, as it is intended as the time they prepare for Christ and thus examine their lives in a moral way. Perhaps this year the Church should take its own advice and consider whether it is in a fit state to meet its maker.