U.S. Bishops: Court Ruling Cannot Change Essence of Marriage
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s rulings on DOMA and Proposition 8, the bishops of the U.S. are calling on the faithful to work to strengthen marriage and witness to its true meaning.
“While the culture has failed in many ways to be marriage strengthening, this is no reason to give up. Now is the time to strengthen marriage, not redefine it, “said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco.
Cardinal Dolan is the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Cordileone chairs the conference’s subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
In a joint statement, they called the rulings “a profound injustice to the American people” and urged a renewed effort to proclaim the truth about marriage as the only institution that unites a man and a woman for the sake of any children that may come from their union. On June 26, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act in a 5-4 decision, claiming that it violated the Constitution’s guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law.
The court said that it is up to the states to define marriage individually, and the federal government must accept the definition given by each state.
Now is the time to redouble our efforts in witnessing to the truths of our Catholic faith. Please pray daily for our country and those in authority.