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Gay marriage divides the Catholic Church

April 16, 2012 @ 3:55 am

They're the two issues you're not supposed to talk about unless you want an argument with someone - religion and politics. About one million Catholics are caught up in a political issue that's splitting churches in Western Washington.

StJamesIn weekend Masses, parishioners received a letter from the Archbishop asking for support of Referendum 74, an effort to repeal Washington's marriage equality law.

"I don't think marriage is political," Saint Mark's Pastor W.R. Harris told KING 5 TV. "So I think that the church has to speak, if marriage is somehow under attack."

Supporters of Referendum 74 need to collect 120,000 signatures by June 6. St. Marks will begin collecting them next weekend.

Pastor Michael Ryan at Saint James says there will be no talk of petition signing at the Cathedral.

St. James is one of at least three Catholic churches stepping away from the issue. Other churches included the Archbishop's letter in the parish bulletin of announcements and said "read it, and decide for yourself what you believe."

The letter, signed by Archbishop Peter Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, stated seven reasons for supporting Referendum 74. Here are summaries:

"We believe that the redefinition of marriage is such a far-reaching and radical decision that it should not be left simply to a vote of legislators and the signature of the governor."

"Same-sex couples already enjoy the rights and privileges of married couples" in Washington state.

"Marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of our society. Married love is life-giving and the crowing fruit of marriage is the bearing of children."

"Christians are called to chastity, and sexual intercourse is so intimate and significant that it is intended only for a man and woman in marriage."

"The Catholic Church's opposition to the redefinition of marriage does not amount to discrimination. Treating different things differently is not unjust dictionaries. Marriage isn't simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships."

"Why does the Catholic Church care so much about marriage? Because marriage is a fundamental good in itself and foundational to human existence and flourishing."

"Does the Catholic Church teach that people who experience same-sex attraction have equal dignity? Of course! Every single human person has inviolable dignity and worth."

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Comments (39)


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  • joennyc wrote...
    Marriage Equality
    April 16, 2012 4:00 am
    Pastoral letters from bishops and other church officials are quite popular now. It seems to be a coordinated strategy among the worlds Catholics. It's happened in many states here in the US, in the UK and in Australia. Here is a re-write I did of a Pastoral letter from the Archbishop of the RC Church in the UK. It is what I think the church's position should be. Wishful. http://theologosblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-archbishop-nichols-should-have.html
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    (1) Revoke the tax exempt status of the Catholic Church...
    April 16, 2012 5:57 am
    If Catholic churches are going to become political campaign headquarters for one side or another of various ballot issues, they should lose their tax exempt status. That should more than cure any local, state, or federal deficits.

    To be clear, its OK for a priest or a preacher to mention a current public issue and suggest the congregation "read the Bible {etc}, search your heart, and come to a prayerful decision regarding the issue. As a [Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc...] cleric, these are my concerns with this question...."

    Where the line is crossed is when petitions get passed around with the communion wafers.

    And, before the predictable voices known to inhabit this comment board start screaming, "What about Protestant churches in black neighborhoods that register people to vote?!", I think they walk dangerously close to the line, and often cross it as well.

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    (2) Since when does the Catholic Church abdicate the responsibility for defining a sacrament....
    April 16, 2012 6:08 am
    to the secular authorities?

    It is the Catholic Church, and all churches, that should be "defining marriage" within their congregations. What if the state legislature decided to pass rules for confession, confirmation, or communion? Would the Catholic Church just simply go along because it is the secular law?

    If a church has religious scruples against marrying a gay couple, then, under the recently enacted state law, that church is under no obligation to perform or recognize the marriage. The opposite should apply for churches that do not have a religious problem with marrying a same sex couple- yet the official Catholic Political Stance is that we should return to a time where it is *illegal* to offer the sacrament of marriage to same sex couples.

    The Catholic Church has every right to decide whether or not gays and lesbians can marry...*in* a Catholic church.

    Just as certain sects and denominations refuse to recognize Christian baptisms performed by certain other sects and denominations, the Catholics and the like minded can even refuse to recognize marriages performed by other denominations. No problem.

    The state law deals with legal aspects of marriage. It's *legal* to do any number of things prohibited by church doctrine. That's never previously been viewed as a threat to the existence of the church.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    @ CG 1 & 2
    April 16, 2012 6:42 am
    While I would disagree with your apparent position that Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion are somehow mutually exclusive, you DO have an interesting point on the sacred rites of Baptism and others. ... I think the difference is, however, that there are no civil institutions of confession, communion or confirmation. ............................ It would be a long search of history as to where 'marriage' first came about. The Bible certainly notes wives back to at least the time of Noah, but I don't off hand of a 'wedding' until Jesus changed water into wine. And certainly the Romans had 'marriage' well before. ....................... Regardless, both authorities use 'marriage' for what is essentially the same thing. .. I have long held that the WORD seems to be the biggest problem. Why should gays insist on the WORD as important, but seem shocked that the WORD should matter to others? . .. Really, civil SHOULD be different from sacramental. But until that happens, or even if it does, the Church and its adherents have the same free speech rights as everyone else.
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Ron Pevost......the WORD matters,
    April 16, 2012 7:24 am
    because certain legal rights remain reserved for people who are "married". Washington is a community property state, for example. You can't hold community property in a domestic partnership in the same way you can hold it if you are legally "married". Certain laws for settling estates, paying income taxes, adding a dependent to an insurance policy, etc rely on the "marriage" standard. It's a matter of equal legal rights for all sexual orientations. Nothing more, or less.

    Let secular marriage be defined as any two adults of legal age willing to enter into a contract. Let the sacrament of marriage be defined by the churches.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    not the word's fault......
    April 16, 2012 7:53 am
    I thought everything was done to make the 'everything but marriage' law truly everything but the word. If the (democrat) State Legislature failed to do this, it should have been easily corrected without pissing half the state off. ... and, by the way, a good lawyer can set up an agreement with MORE rights than marriage - happens all the time in business. ................ The real problem is the Federal tax code. And I'm not sure calling it marriage gets by in any event.
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  • mnpat wrote...
    Thank You Ron.....you hit the nail on the head
    April 16, 2012 1:52 pm
    "The real problem is the Federal tax code."....and the rights given.
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  • SEHaase wrote...
    The cont. saga of a Tailored religion & a different 'Jesus'
    April 16, 2012 6:20 am
    A "Church" that refuses to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, or teaches any doctrine in contrast to the Faith should stop pretending to be part of the body of Christ and close their doors. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand (Mat 12:25)
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Any faith that was pronounced in parables.....
    April 16, 2012 6:42 am
    is going to have a heck of a lot of different doctrines. To SEHaase; there are several thousand denominations of Christianity, all with some minor and often major difference in belief about what it means to be Christian. Which single one of these, in your opinion, represents the true Body of Christ? We should start encouraging the others to (as you say) "close their doors" as quickly as possible.
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  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    All things are not equal
    April 16, 2012 6:36 am
    A union between a man and a woman has always been defined as a marriage in Western Society. This is not complicated or bigoted. It cannot be anything else. It's unique in science, sociology and religion. To now capricously say that the term marriage should be used to define same sex relationships is simply wrong. To have government impose this view on Christians, Muslims and Jews, not just Catholics, is very wrong. No, gay couples cannot get married, and it's not up to the government. If the government wants civil unions for all, then so be it.
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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    There is no split.
    April 16, 2012 7:43 am
    Part of being Catholic is that marriage is between one man and one woman and God. The political aspect of it is that government should not be in the business of marriage. Nor should we be forced to accept anything that we don't want to at the hands of this regime as good and wholesome!
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  • slandc wrote...
    Seattle Dad
    April 16, 2012 7:55 am
    Why is it that you call it a "union" when straights are involved but only a "relationship" when it involves homosexuals? Isn't the whole point of a marriage to make it more of than a relationship - either civilly or for religious reasons? It's unfortunate that society has provided so many social benefits based upon marital status that we have come to this point. If marriage were totally just a religious blessing then we wouldn't be here.
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  • SeattleNative wrote...
    @messiah: "How about the Death penalty or Health Insurance for everyone not only in the USA but everywhere?"
    April 16, 2012 8:21 am
    The Catholic Church fights for social justice everywhere. That's why money donated by Catholics to Catholic Relief Services promotes social justice all over the world.

    crs.org

    It's also why Catholic priests, nuns, and lay people are murdered all over the world in their fight for social justice.

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  • SeattleNative wrote...
    @Chuck: "If Catholic churches are going to become political campaign headquarters for one side or another of various ballot issues, they should lose their tax exempt status."
    April 16, 2012 8:26 am
    Then you support the revocation of tax exempt status for Planned Parenthood, Equal Rights Washington, WashPIRG, and other organizations that promote the collection of ballot initiative signatures, too. Right? Or are you a just another hypocrite?
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  • calapete wrote...
    Since when did St Marks become a Mars Hill Church?
    April 16, 2012 8:33 am
    Stick to religion please. Leave politics to politicians.
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