Catholic Church response to government plan for same-sex marriage referendum

Following the announcement by the Irish Government that it will hold a referendum on same sex marriage in May 2015, Bishop Denis Nulty the Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin issued a strong statement of opposition to the proposed changes to the very essence of marriage and by extension, the family.

The debate at the heart of the referendum announced today by the Government is not about equality or about the false separation of a religious view of marriage from the civil view of marriage. It is about the very nature of marriage itself and the importance society places on the role of mothers and fathers in bringing up children. With others, the Catholic Church will continue to hold that the differences between a man and woman are not accidental to marriage but fundamental to it and that children have a natural right to a mother and a father and that this is the best environment for them where possible.

Married love is a unique form of love between a man and woman which has a special benefit for the whole of society. With others of no particular religious view, the Church regards the family based on marriage between a woman and a man as the single most important institution in any society.

To change the nature of marriage would be to undermine it as the fundamental building block of our society. The Church will therefore participate fully in the democratic debate leading up to the referendum and will seek with others to reaffirm the rational basis for holding that marriage should be reserved for the unique and complimentary relationship between a woman and a man from which the generation and upbringing of children is uniquely possible.

As Christians our primary commandment is to love. Love always demands that we respect the dignity of every human person. That is why the Catholic Church clearly teaches that people who are homosexual must always be treated with sensitivity, compassion and respect. It is not lacking in sensitivity or respect for people who are homosexual however to point out that same-sex relationships are fundamentally different from opposite sex relationships and that society values the complementary roles of mothers and fathers in the generation and up-bringing of children. 

Comment.

It is heartening to know that the Irish Bishops intend to participate fully in the democratic debate leading up to the referendum and will work with others to oppose it.

We agree that our primary commandment as Christians is to Love. Love however is not just about respecting the dignity of others it is also about upholding the truth even if by doing so others are offended. The expression of truth in love is at the heart of the Christian message which in addition to respecting dignity must have an eternal perspective in caring for the immortal souls of those who are in error.

Referendum on same-sex marriage expected in 2015

RTE report Tuesday November 5^th that the Irish Government Cabinet has agreed to hold a  referendum on civil marriage for same-sex couples, which is likely to take place in mid-2015. It is understood that Minister for Justice Alan Shatter brought a memo to the Cabinet this morning on the issue.

This is social engineering at its worst and can only damage the institution of marriage.

This issue has been very much in the news in the UK in recent months and we are linking to an excellent document prepared by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) on the issue and would recommend that it should be widely circulated.

In a separate article the Sunday Times reported that Minister Shatter will give guardianship rights of children to gay couples in advance of the referendum.

Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Eamon Gilmore recently said he hoped there would be a referendum on same-sex marriages during the lifetime of the Government. He said the right of gay people to marry was an "important issue". Mr Gilmore also said it would be "important to win this referendum".

It was also reported last week that two labour MEPs called for a referendum on same-sex marriage on the same date as the local and European elections next May, to ensure a good voter turnout.

Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny however, bruised by his humiliating defeat in the Seanad Referendum, and concerned that he will be faced with a new backbench revolt within Fine Gael, was last week reported to be hesitating. It appears that the compromise decision has been to push the referendum date to 2015.

The Sunday Times Nov. 3rd reported on a briefing note on  Justice Minister Alan Shatter's Family Relationships and Children's Bill, a draft of which is to be brought before the Cabinet shortly. Sarah McInerney [p. 1] reports: 'The minister intends to provide that in a surrogacy case, parentage may be legally assigned by the court on the basis of a genetic connection to one of the parents, with agreement of the surrogate. … It also proposes to give guardianship // [p. 2] rights of children to gay couples for the first time. … Shatter's proposals would allow a civil partner who is living with the adoptive or biological parent of a child and acting 'in loco parentis' for more than a year, to apply for guardianship of the child. The government intends for this aspect of the bill, which will be brought before the Oireachtas ahead of a referendum on same-sex marriage, to deal with many of the issues which may arise in the referendum debate in relation to adoption and guardianship of children by gay couples. … Shatter confirmed he will be bringing a comprehensive draft bill before cabinet shortly.'

Other reports at variance with the Sunday Times report suggest that the proposal to give guardianship rights of children to gay couples will not be part of the ‘Family Relationships and Children's Bill’ but will be legislated for separately in a stand alone bill.

God, not Parliament, is the author of marriage, says UK Bishop

In anticipation of the British Government’s intention to launch a public consultation on its proposals for the legalization of civil marriage for homosexual couples the Rt. Rev. Mark Davies Bishop of Shrewsbury has issued a strong statement in support of marriage as a life-long union of one man and one woman.

The following press statement was issued by the Diocese of Shrewsbury and Bishop Davies full statement can be viewed on this link 

Press Release

Christian MPs and peers should follow their consciences rather than the leadership of their parties to reject plans to redefine marriage, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury has said.

The Rt Rev. Mark Davies said that a change in the law to re-define the identity of marriage from the life-long union of one man and one woman would represent “nothing less than a seismic shift in the foundations of our society” that would dangerously undermine the institution of marriage and obscure its identity for future generations.  Many who do not share the Christian faith, the Bishop observed, “recognise the timeless institution of marriage” as the key foundation of the family and society as a whole.

The Bishop criticised the “mindset” that, he said, “see progress only as a continuous shifting of our society further and further from its Christian foundations” and said that the time has come for politicians to resist the will of party leaders by actively opposing a change in the law in order to protect the foundations upon which our civilisation is built.

Preaching at the annual diocesan celebration of marriage, the Bishop also urged the Catholics of his diocese to raise their voices in defence of the authentic meaning of marriage “for the sake of generations to come”.

In his homily, given at St Wilfrid’s Church, Northwich, Cheshire, on Saturday February 11, Bishop Davies also reminded the congregation that Parliament does not have the authority to redefine marriage. “Marriage is not a merely a human institution made or un-made by any generation,” he said. “God himself is the author of marriage.”

The Coalition Government will launch its public consultation on the proposals next month with a view to legalising civil marriage for homosexual couples before the next General Election in 2015.

Bishop Davies said: 

“By attempting to redefine marriage for society, politicians will find they have not only undermined the institution of marriage but obscured its identity for generations to come. For politicians of Christian conscience this will be a moment to resist the leadership of their own political parties together with every parliamentarian who recognises the Judeo-Christian foundations on which our society rests … Our voices must now be raised as clearly as they can be, in order to proclaim the God-given meaning of marriage not only for the sake of this generation, but for the sake of all generations to come.”  

Shopping at TESCO

Do you shop in Tesco stores?   If you do, then the next time that you go through their doors you might think about the most recent allocation of ‘charitable’ funding that the Tesco company is making.   It appears that Tesco – in the UK at least – has decided to sponsor the 2012 international homosexual and lesbian parade that takes place in London later this year.   (The company has already sponsored ‘national’ homosexual parades that marched through London in previous years.)    

Tesco has a recognised group devoted to those members of their staff who are homosexual  – ‘Out at Tesco’ – and the Head of Research and Development for the company, who is a prominent figure in the group, has stated publicly that Christians who object to the redefinition of marriage to allow for ‘same-sex marriage’ are evil   The executive, who is responsible for the Tesco website, wrote that:

‘I’m also campaigning against evil Christians (that’s not all Christians, just bad ones) who think that gay people should not lead happy lives and get married to their same-sex partners.’      

The ramifications of various homosexual groups that are related to the Tesco patronage of the practices involved, it seems, are endless.

Whether or not Tesco stores in countries other than the UK have ties with the homosexual agenda is not known, but it might be something to bear in mind when you next go shopping at Tesco.

It has also been reported that due to pressure from concerned Christians, Tesco have apologised and have now decided to refrain from supporting the 2012 international homosexual and lesbian parade. Their letter of apology however still suggests they will find other ways of supporting the so called "gay agenda" rather than supporting the parade.
see the following BLOG post article from the BLOG "Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus" BLOG article 

Archbishop Dolan challenges Obama on DOMA

With attacks on marriage and the family growing day by day, worldwide, it is good to read about any ‘fight back’ on the part of Catholic bishops, in particular.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, who is also president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote to President Barack Obama last month, calling on him to stop the undermining of DOMA – the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.  The Archbishop told President Obama that his (the President’s) Administration will undermine marriage and create a serious breach of Church-State relations if it continues to whittle away at DOMA.  The letter to President Obama was accompanied by an analysis of the Administration’s threats to marriage.

Archbishop Dolan wrote:

‘Our profound regard for marriage as the complementary and fruitful union of a man and a woman does not negate our concern for the well-being of all people but reinforces it. […] While all persons merit our full respect, no other relationships provide for the common good that marriage between husband and wife provides.   The law should reflect this reality. […] Our federal government should not be presuming ill intent or moral blindness on the part of the overwhelming majority of its citizens, millions of whom have gone to the polls to directly support DOMAs in their states and have thereby endorsed marriage as the union of man and woman.  Nor should a policy disagreement over the meaning of marriage be treated by federal officials as a federal offense – but this will happen if the Justice Department’s latest constitutional theory prevails in court.’

Let us pray, and hope, that the Archbishop’s admonition may have some impact on the President of the U.S., and that the Bishops’ Conferences in other countries around the world will follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Dolan by challenging their own national governments in a similar manner

Reconstructing society on ideological grounds

I referred last week (October 11th and October 14th) to a number of areas in which the UPR (Universal Periodic Review) Committee of the Human Rights Council draft report indicates that certain member states of the UN demanded that Ireland should change her laws.  

It is acknowledged that the representatives of Ireland stood fairly firm on the question of abortion, but it is disturbing to see that in other areas Ireland appears to be taking on board some of the other recommendations, inimical to family and life, put forward by member states.   One such area is that of homosexual unions.

It is interesting to see, and know, that Scottish bishops are speaking out against any redefinition of marriage.   The Scottish Catholic Observer reports as follows:

‘Two senior members of the Scottish hierarchy have added their voices this week to growing opposition to the Scottish Government’s plans to legalise same-sex “marriage” as the Church backed calls for a referendum on the issue.

‘Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow and Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell both released powerful statements condemning what the archbishop said was an attempt to “reconstruct society on ideological grounds.”

‘ “The Catholic Church, for one, will not accept it, and indeed will actively campaign against it,” Archbishop Conti said, encouraging Scotland’s Catholics to make their opposition known.

‘The Church also backed a call on Tuesday from former SNP leader Gordon Wilson for a national referendum on the issue of same-sex “marriage.” '

Some issues of concern, which arose during Ireland’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Our initial review of Ireland’s UPR concentrated on the issue of abortion, however there are a number of additional issues in the draft report, which are a cause for concern.

The draft report outlined 126 recommendations in total, 62 of which were accepted by the Irish Government. The Government also made a commitment that it would "study carefully" a further 49 recommendations before the next Human Rights Council session in March 2012.

One of the issues recommended by Mexico and set out in the Irish Government list of accepted recommendations related to making contraceptive information “available and accessible” to “boys, girls and adolescents”.



“Ensure the national availability and accessibility to contraceptive services and methods including through the dissemination of information and education to boys, girls and adolescents taking into account prevention of discrimination based on geographic (sic), status, disability or migrant status”. 



The Government has also agreed to consider the following recommendations made by Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay

The Spanish recommendation  called on the Irish Government to, 

“Deepen the Reform of the law on same-sex marriage and change the concept of traditional family as enshrined in the Constitution”

The fact that the Government are prepared to consider this recommendation it is a cause for grave concern

The Government also agreed to consider Switzerland’s recommendation to “amend Article (sic) 37 of the 1998 Employment Equality Act in order to prevent such discrimination against homosexual and unmarried parents”.

Again this is a cause for concern in that section 37 of the act allows religious institutions, such as schools or hospitals, to hire or to refuse to hire in accordance with their ethos.



The Irish Government also agreed to consider a recommendation by Uruguay to explicitly prohibit “any form of corporal punishment in the family”.

 

 

New York State legalises same sex marriage

As you will probably have read elsewhere, the Legislature of New York State recently passed a bill legalising same-sex ‘marriage’.  At this time in our history in Ireland, when the ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act, 2010’ has barely been passed and put into action, the proponents of same-sex ‘marriage’ have made it quite clear that they are not satisfied with the terms of the Act – which they look on as a mere ‘stepping-stone’ to legally recognised ‘civil marriage’ for same-sex partners.   It is appropriate, therefore, to publicise the statement issued by the Bishops of New York State following the passing of the devastatingly harmful bill there.    This is what the Bishops said:

‘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 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.’

 The statement was signed by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, Bishop Edward Kmiec of Buffalo, Bishop Terry LaValley of Ogdensburg, Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, and Bishop Robert Cunningham of Syracuse.

As an addendum – A collection of reflections, prayers and ‘bite-sized’ homilies, entitled Doers of the Word – Putting your Faith into Practice, written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, has ‘everything that matters’, according to a review of the book in the ‘National Catholic Register’ magazine (that’s the orthodox one!)