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President of Catholic bishops endorses ( Anti - Gay ) Federal Marriage Amendment |
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Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on Friday endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. He urged all Roman Catholics to lobby for its passage. In a letter this week to his fellow bishops, Gregory wrote that the Senate leadership had asked them to "formally register support" for the legislation. Introduced by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), the Federal Marriage Amendment defines marriage as "the union of a man and a woman" and is expected to come before the Senate around July 12. Gregory asked bishops to urge their senators to get behind the amendment and to encourage priests and parishioners to do the same. "This situation challenges Catholics--and all who seek the truth--to think deeply about the meaning of marriage, its purposes, and its value to individuals, families, and society," Gregory wrote. Catholics are the largest denomination in the country, with 63.7 million members. The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's second-largest denomination with 16.3 million members, has also backed an amendment against gay marriage, as have several other conservative religious groups. Conservative Protestants are organizing Marriage Protection Sunday on July 11, encouraging pastors and religious educators to address the topic and then mobilize their congregants to lobby their senators the next day. Several other denominations oppose a constitutional amendment. Twenty-six religious organizations, including the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Union for Reform Judaism, have together urged Congress to reject the legislation. Although several Senate opponents of the amendment are Catholic, Gregory, of Belleville, Ill., said nothing in his letter about any obligation they might have to vote for the measure. The Vatican last year said Catholic politicians have a duty to uphold the church's "nonnegotiable ethical principles"--specifically mentioning opposition to abortion and recognition of same-sex couples. |
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UN Drops Gay Civil Rights [ from 365gay.com ] (London) "A move to add sexuality to the list of categories protected by the United Nations has been dropped in the midst of intense pressure from the Vatican and Muslim nations. his own separate web page. Vatican City, Feb. 1,2001 " Stressing again the Vatican's opposition to gay marriage, Pope John Paul II today said there was no possibility the church would redefine its view of matrimony." |
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(234 out of 237) U.S. Catholic bishops urge states against recognizing same-sex marriages By Rachel Zoll, AP Religion Writer Washington (November 12, 2003) - America's Roman Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved a statement Wednesday that urges states to withhold recognition for same-sex marriages. The bishops approved the statement by a vote of 234-3, with three abstentions. (not a SINGLE "NO" vote!) The bishops said they did not intend to offend homosexuals, and they called discrimination against gays unjust. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in September gave its general support to amending the Constitution to define marriage as a union of a man and woman. Pope John Paul II also spoke out last summer against gay marriage. The prelates said they felt a need to make another public statement now - as gay couples gain greater acceptance in society and seek the same benefits as heterosexual couples. The document, called "Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions," defines marriage as a "lifelong union of a man and a woman." The document says authorizing same-sex marriage "would grant official public approval to homosexual activity and would treat it as if it were morally neutral." How many heterosexuals would be fooled if, after telling them that their marriage was invalid, having intercourse with their spouse was reason for their being denied the sacraments, and they were being stripped of all of their legal rights in connection with one another, their clergy told them that they would condemn anybody who "discriminates against you" and that they "had no intention of offending you" ? This game the Catholic hierarchy plays reminds me of the way the Vatican endorsed the Nazi "Jewish statutes" (the French version of the infamous "Nuremberg laws" stripping Jews of all rights and legal protections) and the cardinals and bishops of France announced their moral outrage of these measures, the Vatican undermined the French hierarchy, by declaring that it did not consider such legislation to be conflicting with Catholic teachings. No conflict in principle; all that was asked was that the new statutes be applied with "charity" and "justice." Cracks In Vatican Anti-Gay Stance by Malcolm Thornberry Posted: May 5, 2004 (Madrid) "The papal ambassador to Spain has made a stunning admission: The Vatican made a mistake in not supporting same-sex couples. It is the first time that a high ranking official in the Catholic Church has questioned the official position that gay relationships are "evil and deviant" and indicates, Church-watchers say, a major crack in what was until now considered an impenetrable wall of opposition to gay unions. "The new political situation in which we are living in Spain sets new challenges in the spreading of the gospel and we must meet those challenges in an appropriate manner," Monsignor Manuel Monteiro de Castro told a conference of Spanish bishops. The speech shocked some in the audience, surprised the government, and gave hope to thousands of gay couples in what is considered Europe's most Catholic country. . . Last month (April, 2004) the Spanish government formally announced it will bring in legislation to legalize same-sex marriage." www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/050504vatican.htm Just prior to the presidential election, the Vatican demanded that Ordered St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis to stop its Gay Outreach |
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