Last September the French Bishops' Conference issued a statement through their Family Life committee joining the public debate about "extending marriage to homosexual persons." It was totally different from what and how our US bishops speak against "gay marriage." They need our help, or maybe better still our US bishops need our help!
Here's the link to read my translation of this document. FRENCH BISHOPS
The French Bishops went to great lengths rejecting discrimination and violence against LGBT persons and calling for more than tolerance. They stated they wanted to join the debate as equals respecting the viewpoints of others. They even left the doors open to an "evolution" of the concept of marriage.
Of course, they made their Catholic viewpoints very clear. But they didn't resort to harping on the basic scripture quotes and biology of marriage. Instead they focused on the purpose of marriage as more than an open loving relationship between two people. They spoke forcefully about the social dimensions and lifelong commitment of marriage. They spoke about the many legal--beyond financial--supports for couples, their children, families and society at large. Their critique of LGBTs? They said that even though they have have noticed a significant change in the quality of loving relationships between homosexuals in the last 20 years, they still see the demand for equality regarding marriage as not yet complete and universally accepted on the complex issues of the "stable lasting relationship." They mention that too often any questioning of the homosexual position is simply passed off as homophobic i.e., the "natural procreation" issue, exclusive, lifelong partnerships, legal protections for everyone, etc. etc Nonetheless they also say they won't tolerate any prejudice against LGBTs that would reject a priori any of their points of view.
I'm sure that there is plenty of literature and case studies that can bring homosexual married relationships morally to the level of traditional heterosexual married relationships. We can't let stereotypes influence people like these Catholic Bishops in France who seem to be open to some acceptable kind of arrangement that incorporates the highest of ideals. We are every bit---especially those who are Catholic--committed to the fulness of marriage as a social institution. The anthropological/biological issues--a man and woman are essential to the marriage equation--don't have to be thrown out of the debate from the outset. We can listen and work with reasonable people like these bishops on the equivalent moral imperatives of true marriage as a major bulwark for the promotion of life and justice in the world.
Here's the link to read my translation of this document. FRENCH BISHOPS
Here's the link to read my translation of this document. FRENCH BISHOPS
The French Bishops went to great lengths rejecting discrimination and violence against LGBT persons and calling for more than tolerance. They stated they wanted to join the debate as equals respecting the viewpoints of others. They even left the doors open to an "evolution" of the concept of marriage.
Of course, they made their Catholic viewpoints very clear. But they didn't resort to harping on the basic scripture quotes and biology of marriage. Instead they focused on the purpose of marriage as more than an open loving relationship between two people. They spoke forcefully about the social dimensions and lifelong commitment of marriage. They spoke about the many legal--beyond financial--supports for couples, their children, families and society at large. Their critique of LGBTs? They said that even though they have have noticed a significant change in the quality of loving relationships between homosexuals in the last 20 years, they still see the demand for equality regarding marriage as not yet complete and universally accepted on the complex issues of the "stable lasting relationship." They mention that too often any questioning of the homosexual position is simply passed off as homophobic i.e., the "natural procreation" issue, exclusive, lifelong partnerships, legal protections for everyone, etc. etc Nonetheless they also say they won't tolerate any prejudice against LGBTs that would reject a priori any of their points of view.
I'm sure that there is plenty of literature and case studies that can bring homosexual married relationships morally to the level of traditional heterosexual married relationships. We can't let stereotypes influence people like these Catholic Bishops in France who seem to be open to some acceptable kind of arrangement that incorporates the highest of ideals. We are every bit---especially those who are Catholic--committed to the fulness of marriage as a social institution. The anthropological/biological issues--a man and woman are essential to the marriage equation--don't have to be thrown out of the debate from the outset. We can listen and work with reasonable people like these bishops on the equivalent moral imperatives of true marriage as a major bulwark for the promotion of life and justice in the world.
Here's the link to read my translation of this document. FRENCH BISHOPS