WASHINGTON (July 31, 2003) — Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), welcomed the Vatican document entitled “Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons.” He urged Catholics and all persons of good will to give the document serious and thoughtful attention. The document was prepared by the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and made public by the Vatican July 31.

It declares that “legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”

“By putting homosexual unions on a legal plane analogous to that of marriage and the family, the State acts arbitrarily and in contradiction with its duties,” the document says.

“If it is true that all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions, Catholic politicians are obliged to do so in a particular way, in keeping with their responsibilities as politicians,” the document asserts.

“When legislation in favor of the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative assembly, the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it.” When such legislation is already in force, the Catholic politician must oppose it in those ways that are possible, the document states.

In his statement, Bishop Gregory said: “These considerations are intended to re-express the Church’s teachings about the unique character of marriage and its place and role in society.”

“In affirming the teaching which has been consistent in law for centuries, the ‘Considerations’ opposes the legalization of homosexual unions and the granting to such relationships the legal equivalence of marriage,” Bishop Gregory continued. “With the purpose of protecting the common good and preserving the family, the document affirms ‘There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.’”

Establishing a legal equivalence between marriage and homosexual relationships “not only weakens the unique meaning of marriage; it also weakens the role of law itself by forcing the law to violate the truth of marriage and family as the natural foundation of society and culture,” Bishop Gregory said.

“At the same time that these ‘Considerations’ testify to the uniqueness of marriage they also continue to teach clearly about the respect due homosexual persons and condemn all forms of unjust discrimination, harassment or abuse toward men and women with homosexual tendencies,” Bishop Gregory stated. “Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the document affirms that they ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.’ Moral truth, the document states, is contradicted ‘both by approval of homosexual acts and unjust discrimination against homosexual persons.’”

“Because there is an effort underway in many places to legalize homosexual unions, the ‘Considerations’ draws out the implications for Catholics as they engage the society in which they live,” Bishop Gregory continued. “Catholics must refrain from ‘any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application’ of laws that give the legal status and rights belonging to marriage to homosexual unions. Catholic politicians, in particular, must oppose such laws when they are proposed.”

“Given both the truth and the beauty of the Church’s teaching on marriage, I urge all Catholics and all men and women of good will to give the most serious and thoughtful attention to these ‘Considerations.’ Because the human intellect is naturally drawn to the truth, as the human heart is drawn by nature to the good, I am confident that many a careful reader will see the wisdom of what is proposed in this document, including many who may think otherwise at first.”

see his full statement here: http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/2003/03-158.htm

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), July 31, 2003

Answers

He (Bp. Gregory) urged Catholics and all persons of good will to give the document serious and thoughtful attention.

“legal recognition of homosexual unions would obscure certain basic moral values and cause a devaluation of the institution of marriage.”

“By putting homosexual unions on a legal plane analogous to that of marriage and the family, the State acts arbitrarily and in contradiction with its duties,”

all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions

Church’s teachings about the unique character of marriage and its place and role in society.

opposes

There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.

weakens the unique meaning of marriage...weakens the role of law itself by forcing the law to violate the truth of marriage and family as the natural foundation of society and culture

This is well and good, and it's a welcome message, but it's still not a condemnation of the sodomite lifestyle. It's too weak. It doesn't go far enough. It walks on eggshells. Strictly my opinion.

Why not excommunicate Catholic poiticians who support gay marriage?"

-- jake (jake1REMOVE@pngusa.net), August 01, 2003.

Jake, The church takes excommunication very seriously and uses it only as a last resort. The Church always begins by teaching. What you are seeing now is part of that teaching phase. I would expect more to come.

Yours in Christ, Bill Nelson

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), August 01, 2003.

"The Church always begins by teaching. What you are seeing now is part of that teaching phase. I would expect more to come."

We've been teaching for 2,000.

Why start now?

People who believed anything else about sodomy were already excommunicated.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), August 01, 2003.

I vote for excommunication!!! These so-called Catholic politicians are embarrassing Christ and the Church, publically, unapologetically. They are a blight on the country as well.

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), August 01, 2003.

the snag is that many of these Catholic politicians are elected by a broad non-Catholic constituency. by demanding that Cathlic politicians vote in a Catholic way, we will exclude Catholics from public office. not saying that's wrong. just a result.

in the UK, the 2 opposition leaders are Catholic: Charles Kennedy and Ian Duncan SMith. the Prime Minister is a wannabe CAtholic (his wife and kids are Catholic - he attends CAtholic MAss). they would all have to resign if they robustly opposed so-called gay rights.

i'm just not sure what is in the best interests of the Church.

maybe Jake's right. i would lean in tha direction if it came to it.

a Catholic political party is a solution -- but that would only work in a system of proportional representation.

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), August 02, 2003.

indeed, it seems to me that, if you read this -- http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/ hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html -- then the Church has little option but to excommunicate errant politicians.

one at a time -- that woyuld sort the wheat from the chaff.

-- Ian (ib@vertifgo.com), August 02, 2003.