Bishops issue bulletin against Supreme Court gays ruling

THE US bishops’ conference is distributing a bulletin insert in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalise same-sex marriage nationwide. “The Supreme Court has tragically declared that states must issue marriage licences to two persons of the same sex and recognise same-sex ‘marriages’ that were contracted in another state,” the notice begins. “This broad, adverse ruling redefines marriage in the law throughout the entire country, changing thousands of laws regarding marriage, family and children and threatening religious freedom in numerous ways.
“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.” ?

The notice is signed by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Critics noted that the insert did not mention the teaching of the Catechism, that gays and lesbians are to be treated with respect. “Nowhere do we see the love of humanity joined with respect for the individual that we see from Pope Francis,” said Fred Rotondaro, chairman of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a Catholic advocacy group. “Nor do we see concern for doctrine tempered with a nuanced understanding of individual needs that was present in statements by Cardinal [Donald] Wuerl and Archbishop [Blase] Cupich. The bishops’ conference echoes doctrine without even attempting to understand the dignity and often the anguish of the struggling soul.”