USCCB News Release (Nov. 7, 2012):
- Marriage protection efforts in state referenda not successful
- “Marriage needs to be strengthened…not redefined,” Archbishop Cordileone says
- All people called “to build a renewed culture of marriage and the family”
WASHINGTON—In response to the November 6 statewide referenda results in Washington State, Minnesota, Maryland, and Maine regarding marriage, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, called for renewed efforts to strengthen and protect marriage and family life and expressed gratitude to marriage protection supporters.
“Yesterday, November 6, was a disappointing day for marriage, as the effort to preserve the unique meaning of marriage in the law lost by only a narrow margin in four states, even though vastly outspent by those who promote the redefinition of marriage,” Archbishop Cordileone said.
“The meaning of marriage, though, cannot be redefined because it lies within our very nature. No matter what policy, law or judicial decision is put into place, marriage is the only institution that unites a man and a woman to each other and to any children born of their union. It is either this, or it is nothing at all. In view of the fact that every child has a mother and a father, our society either respects the basic right of every child to be raised by his or her mother and father together and so supports the true and unique meaning of marriage for the good of children, or it does not. In a society marked by increasing poverty and family fragmentation, marriage needs to be strengthened, promoted, and defended, not redefined. I hope and pray that political leaders, judges, and all people will seek to honor this foundational and common sense truth of marriage,” the archbishop said.
Earlier this year, the Washington State and Maryland legislatures voted in favor of bills to redefine marriage and the governors of these states signed the respective bills into law; however, before these laws could take effect, enough voters in each state signed a petition to put these laws before the voters in yesterday’s referenda. In Minnesota, the state legislature in 2011 voted to adopt a marriage protection amendment to the state constitution, which went before the voters yesterday.
In Maine, earlier this year, supporters of marriage redefinition submitted a petition with enough signatures to have a referendum on marriage redefinition in an attempt to counter the 2009 vote of the people that protected the meaning of marriage. In Maryland and Maine, voters yesterday voted in favor of redefining marriage (votes are still being confirmed in Washington State, though it is projected that voters did the same there as well). In Minnesota, voters rejected the proposed state constitutional amendment, though Minnesota still protects marriage as the union of one man and one woman through state statute.
“I extend heartfelt gratitude to all those who dedicated and sacrificed time, energy and resources to protect marriage,” Archbishop Cordileone said. “I especially call on all people to pray and to build a renewed culture of marriage and the family. This is a fundamental task on which the future good and stability of our society, and particularly that of our children, rest.”
3 responses to “News Release: Archbishop Cordileone Calls for Prayer, Renewed Culture of Marriage”
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I fail to see how my marriage in any way damages traditional marriage. I do not claim to be part of a traditional marriage! But I was married in 2010, before God, family and friends, to an amazing woman, together with whom I humbly live my life, go to work, pay taxes, celebrate family and contribute to the betterment of my community. I thank God for my wife everyday. I am so blessed! I am no less Christian than anybody else! I can only pray that in people’s hearts and consciences, love whether it be traditional of same-gender, will be celebrated!
Respectfully,
Karen
Karen, your comments are what the Church fears most: the truth about the commitment, kindness, love and decency behind a same-sex marriage. Unlike the termination of a pregnancy, the Church will not be able to continue to demonize you and relationships like yours going forward. Therefore, once we have our “Roe v. Wade”, opposition will only continue to melt away. The Church is on a path to irrelavence.
Amen sister!