US: Kalamazoo Bishop says strike-down of same-sex marriage ban ‘unfortunate and regrettable’
On a momentous day for same-sex couples in the US state of Michigan, one Bishop set out to voice his displeasure at the “unfortunate and regrettable” ruling.
The case, brought by nurses April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, had initially been focussed on the rights of same-sex couples to adopt eachother’s children, but was broadened to include same-sex marriage.
Bishop Paul J Bradley of the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo released a statement saying: “With the stroke of a pen, the meaning of marriage, one of society’s most sacred institutions and the very foundation of the family, has been redefined in our state.”
He continued: “While our faith teaches us to treat individuals with same-sex attraction with respect, compassion and sensitivity, we also are called to defend the divine institution of marriage between one man and one woman.”
His full statement is available to view below:
The decision handed down today by Federal District Court Judge Bernard Friedman in the case of DeBoer vs. Snyder is unfortunate and regrettable. With the stroke of a pen, the meaning of marriage, one of society’s most sacred institutions and the very foundation of the family, has been redefined in our state. As a result of this decision, the amendment to the Michigan constitution, which reflected the understanding of the majority of the citizens of this State, and which was designed to protect the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, has been undone by judicial decision.
No matter how the courts or other secular institutions choose to attempt to refashion such a foundational institution of society as marriage, our Catholic faith consistently upholds the understanding, rooted in Natural law and Divine design, that marriage is a lifelong partnership of love and fidelity between one man and one woman, ordered for the mutual support of the spouses and the procreation of children if possible. A couple whose marriage is blessed and made holy through the Sacrament of Matrimony reflects the saving love of Jesus for His Bride, the Church.
As the merit of this case continues to be argued, it provides us the opportunity to proclaim both the Catholic Church’s position against unjust discrimination aimed at all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, as well as the sacredness of traditional marriage. While our faith teaches us to treat individuals with same-sex attraction with respect, compassion and sensitivity, we also are called to defend the divine institution of marriage between one man and one woman.
