Catholics and Evangelicals: Defense of Marriage and the 'New Ecumenism'

May this 'New Ecumenism' for Marriage and Family signal the beginning of a new movement.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - On June 3, 2003, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith issued "Considerations regarding Proposals to Give Legal recognition To Unions Between Homosexual persons." The Cardinal is now Pope Benedict XVI. The document restated the unbroken tradition of the Catholic Church: "The present Considerations do not contain new doctrinal elements; they seek rather to reiterate the essential points on this question and provide arguments drawn from reason which could be used by Bishops in preparing more specific interventions, appropriate to the different situations throughout the world, aimed at protecting and promoting the dignity of marriage, the foundation of the family, and the stability of society, of which this institution is a constitutive element. The present Considerations are also intended to give direction to Catholic politicians by indicating the approaches to proposed legislation in this area which would be consistent with Christian conscience"

There is a social revolutionary movement led by some on the fringes of the homosexual activist community who seek to force legal recognition of homosexual unions and equivalency between those unions and marriage. Such a movement threatens the civil order of society and does not serve the common good. We have serious confusion in some circles of the Christian community concerning this. Purporting to promote some "new way", some Christian voices, (some confused or misinformed, others deluded or disingenuous, and some rebellious) undermine the Church, do violence to the truth, cause scandal, injure the common good and put their own souls in jeopardy. Numbered among them are some unfaithful Catholic politicians who have hidden behind their "public/private" duplicity concerning their duty to defend life. Now they are doing the same by failing to defend marriage.

The document was clear: "If it is true that all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions, Catholic politicians are obliged to do so in a particular way, in keeping with their responsibility as politicians. Faced with legislative proposals in favor of homosexual unions, Catholic politicians are to take account of the following ethical indications. When legislation in favor of the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative assembly, the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral."

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The document was not only addressed to Catholics, other Christians or even just people of faith, it was addressed to all people. That is because the truth about marriage is meant for all men and women: "Since this question relates to the natural moral law, the arguments that follow are addressed not only to those who believe in Christ, but to all persons committed to promoting and defending the common good of society." It presented a powerful defense of the truth about marriage and family. Yes, it presented that truth from biblical revelation, but also from the order of right reason, the natural law, the biological and anthropological order, the social order and the legal order. That is because truth is truth. All who are concerned about being able to defend the institution of marriage should imitate the manner of presentation in this document. It lays out a necessary framework for our work in a culture which is sliding toward a rejection of any objective truth by which to guide our behavior in what Pope Benedict warned of as a "dictatorship of relativism".

The document presents a unity of the truth in the natural law which is confirmed by revelation. It thus provides a framework for the work ahead. Also, while it affirms that there should be no unjust discrimination against any persons, including persons with homosexual "orientation", it rejects the notion that homosexual unions are in any way analogous to marriage, insisting that legislation attempting to give legal status to these unions would be unjust and evil: "The Church's teaching on marriage and on the complementarity of the sexes reiterates a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by all the major cultures of the world. Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose. No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives."

The document concluded with this summary: "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behavior, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself."

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The Good News is that in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, the Church has risen to the challenge! Joining with other Christians, it has taken a strong stand in defense of marriage. On September 1, 2009 the following letter was sent in support of a ballot initiative which will define marriage in the District of Columbia as the union between one man and one woman:

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"Mr. Errol R. Arthur
Chairman, District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics
441 4th Street, N.W., Suite 250 North
Washington, D.C. 20001

Dear Chairman Arthur:

On behalf of the Archdiocese of Washington, I write to express support for the initiative that is being filed with the Board of Elections and Ethics today. This initiative would allow voters a voice in the process to ensure that marriage in the District of Columbia continues to be legally defined as it always has been: between a man and a woman.

The Archdiocese of Washington includes 580,000 Catholics living in Washington, DC and neighboring Maryland counties. Catholic parishes, schools and ministries have been serving the needs of this area since before the District of Columbia was formed. It is out of our religious teaching and our long-standing commitment to serving the common good that we are compelled to write in support of this initiative to uphold marriage in the District of Columbia.

Originating in God's creative plan, marriage is rooted in natural law, which forms the foundation not only for church teaching, but also for civil law. Civil governments have recognized marriage throughout human history as between a man and a woman because of marriage's unique role in protecting the rights of children to have both a mother and a father and because it creates a stable and secure foundation for our society.

Marriage is more than just a union of two people who love each other and are committed to each other. It is reserved for man and woman because of their complementarity and, thus, unique ability to create and then nurture children with the different gifts that men and women offer. This definition has remained unchanged throughout time.

Recent efforts to change this historically and fundamentally essential institution by redefining it without the input of the electorate is unjust and makes this initiative necessary. We respectfully request your favorable action on the initiative.

Sincerely yours, Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General.

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In addition to this letter from his Auxiliary, Washington DC Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl sent a personal letter to 300 local priests defending marriage against any efforts to redefine or undermine it and directing them to do the same. It included these words, "One challenge we see today is a lack of understanding by many people about what marriage is... Marriage simply recognizes a relationship that is fundamental to nature: the complementarity of man and woman. That relationship is not a creation of church or civil law. However, governments and faith groups recognize marriage as between a man and woman because the exclusive, mutual and lifelong gift of a husband and wife to each other is the most stable and secure foundation to create and nurture children."

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This courageous move by Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl is joined to the hard work of other genuine and dedicated Christians in the District to defend marriage. Together it provides an example of a new and true ecumenism mobilizing around this vital social justice issue. Just as the efforts to respond to the cry of the "poorest of the poor", children in the womb, brought us together in the Pro-Life movement, this effort to defend marriage - and the family founded upon it - is doing the same. Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Washington, D.C., has been a courageous leader in the defense of marriage with "DC Stand for Marriage." This genuine man of God has stood firm in a valiant effort to defend marriage and family in Washington, D.C. I am honored to serve along with him on the Steering committee of the "Freedom Federation". I am sure he now welcomes the support of many more of his Catholic brethren in this vital struggle.

Peter Smith of LifeSite News comments in the report which follows this article, "One might call it the "new ecumenism," an example of solidarity between Christian denominations at its best: the Catholic Archbishop of Washington, D.C. has joined forces with local Christian ministers in the nation's capital to give strong support to a ballot initiative that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and stop the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia. Bishop Harry Jackson of Beltsville's Hope Christian Church, fellow black Christian pastors, and members of the Stand4Marriage Coalition D.C., submitted a ballot initiative on Monday to preserve the traditional definition of marriage to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) for approval."

May this "New Ecumenism" for Marriage and Family signal the beginning of a genuine movement of cooperation which not only protects marriage but advances the true common good of our Nation.

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