The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.
We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.
We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.
Our society must regain what it appears to have lost ”“ a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles.
Amen.
It’s reassuring to see that Bp. Hubbard of Albany signed this. One often wonders where his voice is, since that of the corruption-prone and NYC-controlled state government is much too loud. The legislative result is tragic, no question.
It is good that Bp Hubbard signed it. However if he had shown consitency in defense of Church teachings regarding marriage perhaps so many Catholic legislators would not have voted contrary to those teachings.
#3 You assume Catholic politicians are not like other politicians?
Do we know that he hasn’t shown consistency, Paula? I really don’t know and don’t quite know how to find out either. I just wish his voice ever were heard in the Capital District (where I grew up) over the ceaseless din since the 1960s of the media that help promote deviant behaviors. Bravo to ++Dolan who made his heard amidst the deafening NYC din.
Beginning with Governor Rockefeller in the 1960s NYS has had many RINOs in state government that have cumulatively helped the Democrats bring it to this point, which I submit is likely to be a point of no return. In 1970 it was abortion, which some will remember NYS was ‘leading the nation’ in legalizing – only, 25+ years later a number of the Catholic senators who helped it pass recanted and issued a statement regretting their role in that. But hindsight was useless here.
Now that the notoriously co-habiting son-of-Cuomo, the senior of which promoted ‘melting pot’ social theory and also insisted like a certain President that he couldn’t let his Catholic conscience affect his public role w/r/t abortion, has handed a vocal and socially destructive minority this legislation, why wouldn’t normal sane people leave the state (many heading for yours) in droves and steadily abandon it to the deviants and their abetters? The public schools and university system will find increasingly they are forced to promote these perverted life choices, putting Christian believers constantly on the defensive, which is very wearing. NYS sadly never quite recovered from Woodstock, Bernard Nathanson & co., the 1970 abortion decision, etc. despite the respite Pataki’s years offered, and I can’t see that it has any defenses of society left unless it will be those of raw power. And this despite the measurable fact that a majority of the people were/are against what just passed the NYS legislative houses.
It is significant that the worst bishop in the American Catholic Church (Hubbard of Albany) signed this statement.
And it is ironic that the “Marriage Equality” act was signed by a governor who lives out of wedlock with his mistress in the governor’s mansion. Archbishop Dolan had some choice words for such nominal Catholics:
[blockquote]I’m particularly disappointed in that, once again, the terribly illogical heresy of “personally opposed but have to do this†seems to be dominating some of our Catholic politicians. How in the world, as I said on the feast of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, you could have some Catholic politicians say they’re following their conscience. The heroes of conscience are people like John Fisher and Thomas More. You bet they followed their conscience — a properly formed conscience in conformity with divine revelation and the teaching of the Church. Everybody follows their own conscience. Pol Pot followed his own conscience. We’re talking about a properly formed conscience.[/blockquote]
Tacit, I think it is inconsistent to say gay marriage is a threat to marriage when at the same time seeming to condone fornication by letting Coumo receive Communion when his living arrangements are quite well known.
Dan, good point. If Catholic legislators in NY are like so many others the label Catholic is purely coincidental.
Ah, now I get your point, Paula – thanks. The part about +Hubbard not having done something about the disobedient governor receiving Communion had escaped me. Though subconsciously I guess that’s what I meant about never hearing from +Hubbard – had he ever done any such thing NYers would have heard about it.
Amen, wildfire – at least he is one of the worst, if not [i]il peggiore[/i] among the USCCB. I didn’t mention all the CINOs in NY government, just the RINOs, but there are too many of each. Abp. Dolan nailed the lame and incoherent thinking from their malformed consciences, too.
… marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change …
—-
How about those believing in “this definition” abandoning the term “marriage.” Seriously. I now regard the _sanctified_ aspect of the union I have with my wife to be “Holy Wedlock (formerly known as ‘marriage’)” … a bit awkward, but it’ll have to do for now.
Perhaps an analogue can be found in the term “doctor”, which has become so watered down that some cohorts of ‘doctors’ rigorously identify themselves as “MD”s, “PhD”s, etc.
Here is what +Hubbard does with some of his time:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/rome-to-consider-possible-miracle-of-rosary-priest/
Seems worthwhile. Now if I were nearby I might attend that Mass to see if I detected any subtle background theme from anywhere of re-defining the ‘family’ that is going to stay together by praying together. Hopefully not, but I would want to check to be sure, after the silence which [i]could be taken[/i] to indicate lack of ecclesiastical disapproval, at the least, for both the governor’s illicit living situation and bad example, and the recently passed legislation.