Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan appeared on 60 Minutes Overtime, where he said that same-sex couples are no more entitled to marry each other than he is entitled to marry his mother.
The former Milwaukee archbishop explained the Catholic Church’s opposition to marriage equality to Morley Safer with a baseball analogy.
“I
have a strong desire to play shortstop for the Yankees,” he said. “I
don’t have a right to, because I don’t have what it takes. And that
would be what the church would say about marriage. We would say marriage
by nature, marriage by definition is between a man and woman for life,
giving children. Don’t tamper with the definition.”
Pressed by
Safer to explain how exactly marriage equality would harm heterosexual
marriages, Dolan responded, “Because where then would the tampering
stop?”
“I mean, I love my mom,” said Dolan. “I don’t have the
right to marry her, OK? There are certain rights and attractions in life
that are very beautiful and noble but don’t entitle you to marriage.”
As
leader of the powerful archdiocese of New York, Dolan is a key voice of
opposition to the effort to pass a marriage equality bill in the state
this year.
He also discussed priestly celibacy with Safer and explained
why the church believes women cannot be priests.