Supreme Court Decision On Marriage “A Tragic Error” Says President Of Catholic Bishops’ Conference
June 26, 2015
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court decision, June 26, interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage” “is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).The full statement follows:
Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable. Just as Roe v. Wade did not settle the question of abortion over forty years ago, Obergefell v. Hodges does not settle the question of marriage today. Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail. Today the Court is wrong again. It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.
The unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is inscribed in our bodies as male and female. The protection of this meaning is a critical dimension of the “integral ecology” that Pope Francis has called us to promote. Mandating marriage redefinition across the country is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us, especially children. The law has a duty to support every child’s basic right to be raised, where possible, by his or her married mother and father in a stable home.
Jesus Christ, with great love, taught unambiguously that from the beginning marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman. As Catholic bishops, we follow our Lord and will continue to teach and to act according to this truth.
I encourage Catholics to move forward with faith, hope, and love: faith in the unchanging truth about marriage, rooted in the immutable nature of the human person and confirmed by divine revelation; hope that these truths will once again prevail in our society, not only by their logic, but by their great beauty and manifest service to the common good; and love for all our neighbors, even those who hate us or would punish us for our faith and moral convictions.
Lastly, I call upon all people of good will to join us in proclaiming the goodness, truth, and beauty of marriage as rightly understood for millennia, and I ask all in positions of power and authority to respect the God-given freedom to seek, live by, and bear witness to the truth.
Promotion And Defense Of Marriage
The Catholic Church promotes and defends the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Read the USCCB Statement from Archbishop Kurtz on today's Supreme Court decision and go to the MUR blog site to read statements from bishops and dioceses.Here's a handout with the top questions and answers (en español) about marriage, and the nationwide bulletin insert (en español) available for parishes! Here's the backgrounder (en español) as well.
Please visit the website dedicated entirely to this issue, with catechetical resources:
Featured Resources
Visit the USCCB Action Center to stay up-to-date on public policy issues, join our advocate network, and communicate with your elected officials.
One Man, One Woman, For Life: Lead Messages on Marriage Redefinition (for clergy, leaders, and lay faithful)
En Español: Redefinición del matrimonio: mensajes principales
En Español: Redefinición del matrimonio: mensajes principales
Key Policy Documents, Statements, and Letters are available on thePolicy Page
Catechetical Resources:
- Prayer for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
- Handout: Marriage and Religious Liberty FAQs
- Article: "Catholics Care. Catholics Vote: Strengthening and Defending Marriage is a Matter of Justice"
- Pamphlet: "The Difference is the Difference" by Msgr. Brian Bransfield
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