The Church typically looks out for the rights and protection of everyone, starting with the weakest and the defenseless. That is why the Pope and the bishops have spoken out on the issue of same sex marriage. We are grateful to Archbishop Myers and his fellow bishops in New Jersey for their efforts in helping us understand what is going on in our state regarding the definition of marriage. They have helped us with the means to protect this beautiful institution which is really a communion of a man and a woman. Hopefully, our petition to the members of our state assembly and to our state senator will serve to safeguard marriage. Over the last three weeks 556 parishioners signed this petition. May our state representatives take the voice of you, their constituents, seriously.
The Bishops have once again pointed out that the Church has always taught that marriage is the union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. This truth is not a doctrine only of the Catholic Church, but is, and has been, held from time immemorial by people of virtually every faith and culture. Marriage between only a man and a woman predates governments and religion. The Church moreover teaches that man and woman are equal. However, they are different from each other. Yet, they are created for each other. This complementarity draws men and women together in a mutually loving union that always should be open to the procreation of children (Catholic Bishops of New Jersey’s Message on Marriage, Aug. 22, 2009).
Defending marriage as the union only of two persons of the opposite sex is not discriminatory. The Civil Union Act of NJ states that civil union couples shall have all the same benefits, rights, and protections that are granted to spouses in marriage. So, one wonders why the movement to include same sex couples in the definition of marriage has even come up.
Once the law understands marriage as no longer reserved only to the union of male and female, then that institution is open to anything. It would then be reasonable to have bigamy and polygamy. Also, it would mean that anyone who taught the traditional definition of marriage would by law be considered a bigot.
In addition to doing all that we can to protect marriage, children, and the family by contacting state representatives, let us pray each day for this. May our legislators open their hearts to our Creator Who made us and the great communion of man and woman that we call marriage.
Fr. Stanley
