The vote for gay marriage is a major setback for Archbishop Timothy
Dolan and the Catholic Church in New York which fought the legislation
tooth and nail.
However, it is clear that the church power has waned in the aftermath of the pedophile sex scandals which have plagued the church in recent years.
Until quite recently a 'belt of the crozier' from the Catholic church would have stopped any such gay marriage bill in its tracks, especially one actively promoted by a Catholic governor.
Not any more and the church now looks exposed because of its opposition and its failure to turn the tide,
Dolan and another leading Irish American, Michael Long of the Conservative Party, made last ditch efforts to overturn the legislation which passed 33-29 with four Republican votes.It was signed into law by Governor Andre Cuomo.
Afterwards the church issued a statement which read;
"We strongly uphold the Catholic Church's clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves.
This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths."
Regardless of the statement the church has been comprehensively defeated on one of their signature issues.
However, it is clear that the church power has waned in the aftermath of the pedophile sex scandals which have plagued the church in recent years.
Until quite recently a 'belt of the crozier' from the Catholic church would have stopped any such gay marriage bill in its tracks, especially one actively promoted by a Catholic governor.
Not any more and the church now looks exposed because of its opposition and its failure to turn the tide,
Dolan and another leading Irish American, Michael Long of the Conservative Party, made last ditch efforts to overturn the legislation which passed 33-29 with four Republican votes.It was signed into law by Governor Andre Cuomo.
Afterwards the church issued a statement which read;
"We strongly uphold the Catholic Church's clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves.
This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths."
Regardless of the statement the church has been comprehensively defeated on one of their signature issues.
The four Republican senators, two of them
Catholic, who voted for the bill and the Senate leader Senator Dean
Skelos who allowed the vote have made clear that it was a personal
decision and they refused to be swayed by the Church lobbying.
1 comment:
I think the sex scandal was a factor and lasted longer than "recent years".... like decades. But few point out that there were two scandals...the sexual one but secondly the one of Bishops either turning out to be gay themselves or moving offenders near new children without any regard whatsoever to parents or children. Then Rome punished no one except Maciel by Benedict while giving Cardinal Law continued influence over picking Bishops at one discastery. It all said to laity....who are you....who are you...you are tertiary to we in Rome. (John Paul failed to even meet with any victims including a group that went to Rome and knocked for several days at the Vatican. Knock and it shall be closed to you.....is apparently a new translation ... a new hermeneutic.)
But there is another angle. A Pope letting his underlings deride laity as cafeteria Catholics in the Catholic press over birth control while he called the death penalty "cruel" (St. Louis 1999)....a penalty given over 30 times by God in the 1st Person imperative and with Romans 13:4
confirming the one in Genesis 9:5-6.
So clergy til this day deride laity as cafeteria but will not criticize a Pope for being cafeteria with scripture...because clergy are career or at least domicile fearful of those above them.
The other factor was TV and its preaching through comedy of gay activity as done by nice people.
Another factor was the Church telling Catholics to read the Bible and then demotivating that by over warnings that the Church alone interprets it. Look at the states that best oppose abortion and gay marriage....Bible reading Protestants. Who has the highest rates of sexual obedience without a hierarchy at all....probably the Amish because they have actual community...no really....actual community.
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