"As Roman Catholics, we differentiate between sacramental marriage and civil marriage. Therefore, we perceive that same-sex civil marriage poses no threat to our Church. While we respect the authority and integrity of the Church in matters of faith, our prayers and discernment have brought us to a new openness on this issue. We do not ask the Church to perform same-sex marriages. We do implore the Church to honor the States’ prerogative to authorize civil marriages for our gay and lesbian family and friends."
This is exactly the messaging that is needed to counteract the hateful, bigoted and ignorant behavior of the leadership of the Catholic Church, which has taken a hardline stance that is arguably more damaging to the civil rights of LGBTs than the Mormon Church (there are 5.5 million in the U.S.).
With 70 million Catholics in the U.S. (representing 24% of the overall US population), and still-full coffers despite millions, if not upwards of a billion dollars in payouts as a result of its criminal pedophile priest protection enterprise, the Church has forged partnerships with fundamentalist churches and anti-gay causes.
There has not been an equally massive organized pro-LGBT Catholic opposition to the messaging and actions of Benedict’s machine, but Catholics for Marriage Equality (C4ME) has launched a web site that hopes to bring faithful members of the flock together to challenge the incessant conflation of church and state that has been used to abandon the Church's long record social justice when it comes to the rights LGBT Americans.
It’s time to dispel the notion the incessant bigotry being brazenly perpetrated by church hierarchy goes unchallenged by others in the flock.
The Catholics for Marriage Equality Declaration
As faithful Roman Catholics we believe that the constitutional right to practice freedom of religion is based on respect for the dignity of each individual.
- The American principle of the separation of Church and State was enshrined in the Constitution to ensure that no particular religious perspective would be imposed on our pluralistic society.
- Catholic teaching on social justice has been central to the building of a just society, creating awareness of diversity in the human family, calling us to lives of respect, not simply tolerance, for one another.
- We remember that Roman Catholics were once denied civil rights, treated with suspicion, ridiculed because of our sacred rituals, and questioned as to our allegiance to “foreign authorities.” Memory challenges us to remain vigilant whenever bigotry and injustice enters into public discourse.
- Same-sex civil marriage does not in any way coerce any religious faith or tradition to change its beliefs or doctrine or alter its traditional marriage practices.
We know that God is a most gracious and wonderful Creator. Many of us have gay and lesbian relatives and friends.
As Roman Catholics, we differentiate between sacramental marriage and civil marriage.
Roman Catholics on board can sign on here.