The Catholic bishops of New Jersey have distributed a letter explaining Church teaching on marriage and refuting the errors of same-sex “marriage” proponents. Urging the faithful to “protect and promote” marriage, they discussed the God-given natural complementarity of the union of man and woman.
“As Catholics, we must not stand by in silence in the face of the many challenges that threaten marriage and, in turn, children and the public good. We must not shirk from our responsibility,” the bishops’ message begins.
New Jersey state legislators may vote on recognizing same-sex “marriage” sometime after the November election. Parish priests throughout the state were directed to distribute the bishops’ letter, titled “The Call to Marriage is Woven Deeply into the Human Spirit,” in parish bulletins last Sunday, The Newark Star-Ledger reported.
Since this article appears on a Catholic site, the CNA or Catholic News Agency, it’s no surprise that it’s wholly supportive of the pastoral letter just released by the RC bishops in NJ. But it’s brief, clear, and I think encouraging for all orthodox Christians.
For as one RC spokesman put it, in the light of the cultural confusion on the subject, authentic Catholic teaching [i]”needs to be reinforced often.”[/i] Now that’s an understatement worthy of an Englishman. I’d add that the same applies to authentic Anglican teaching (e.g., Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10), or authentic biblical, Christian teaching on marriage of any sort. It must be reaffirmed over and over, or our people will continue to drift with our permissive, relativist culture in a very unChristian direction.
I particularly appreciated how the letter highlights that the complementarity of the sexes is “evident to right reason,” an affirmation of the Catholic stress on natural law, and on defending marriage as “a foundational good.” The Catholic bishops of NJ are absolutely right on both counts. And that helps identify and sustain the common ground that Catholics, orthodox Protestants, and Anglicans share in the Culture War.
It makes me proud of the Catholic bishops in NJ, including Archbishop John Myers of Newark. And almost envious. Since I’m ashamed of the two TEC bishops in NJ, that have gone over to the Dark Side.
David Handy+