ST. FRANCIS — In a letter to Catholics, Wisconsin’s Roman Catholic bishops urge support of a proposed amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Voters in the state will vote on the proposed amendment on Nov. 7.
The letter, according to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, one of five signers, was written in response to questions from Catholics requesting guidance on the issue.
“It’s certainly not an issue we initiated, but I am enthusiastic about endorsing it because I think the church now has to do everything it can to promote and strengthen the sacrament of marriage,” he said in an interview with your Catholic Herald.
The letter acknowledges that Wisconsin law defines marriage in a way consistent with Catholic tradition, but “we believe that an amendment to our state constitution is the prudent thing to do in light of judicial and legislative actions in other states.”
Archbishop Dolan described the family as being threatened and said the bishops support and promote any initiative that would strengthen, affirm and promote the dignity, the identity of marriage as a lifelong union between one man, one woman and children.
“We’re not trying to impose Catholic values, we’re not trying to mandate Judeo-Christian values, we’re simply trying to remind society that very close to its core and its identity as a civilized people is the fact that marriage needs to be protected and whenever you have the idea of marriage diluted or cheapened or expanded beyond recognition, society itself is in peril,” said Archbishop Dolan. “History teaches that. Natural law teaches that. When you add to that our conviction that God himself has revealed this to us, that’s what makes us particularly emphatic here.”
Defense of marriage as one man, one woman and children is part of the understanding of the human condition, said the archbishop.
There’s an element of common sense here that marriage means one man, one woman and children, he said.
Same-sex unions cannot be considered marriage, according to the archbishop, primarily because of “what can’t happen that makes marriage a very symbol of God’s love for us — life can’t happen. We’re not saying there can’t be friendships, that there can’t be nourishing relationships. We’re talking about the whole distortion of marriage itself so we’re not judging other relationships, we’re simply trying to preserve the towering relationship of marriage.”
The archbishop emphasized that the bishops are solely looking at the issue as a defense of marriage, not to condemn homosexuals.
The letter reads, “Support for this amendment does not imply or justify animosity toward any individual or group. Church teaching regarding the dignity of homosexual persons is clear…. Even as we ask Catholics to support this amendment, we also urge them to repudiate words and deeds that demean individuals with a homosexual orientation.”
“We bishops were very sensitive to the fact that there are some who are using promotion of this amendment as a means to attack homosexuals,” explained Archbishop Dolan. “That in no way is our intention. We are simply looking at this as a defense of marriage. In no way do we care to be associated with those who would use what we consider a very noble and timely effort to defend marriage with people who would use that to club homosexuals.”
He added that the bishops would be equally opposed to other definitions of marriage such as polygamy.
The archbishop expressed frustration that those defending marriage are put on the defensive.
“I think sometimes what gets my Irish up is the fact that those defending marriage are put on the defensive,” he said. “Really, those who should be on the defensive are those who want to change something that has been at the very core of human understanding for as long as that human understanding has been articulated.”
Those who want to dilute, alter and tamper with the definition are the ones who should be on the defensive, added the archbishop.
In writing the letter, Archbishop Dolan said he and the other signers, Bishops Robert C. Morlino of Madison; David A. Zubik of Green Bay; Raphael M. Fliss of Superior and Jerome E. Listecki of La Crosse, wanted to help shine light of the Gospel on what seems to be a controversial issue.
“Some people might say it is an intrusion of the church in politics. We’re simply responding as pastors to our people who have asked us to offer sound guidance on a very timely question,” he said.
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