Priests and parishioners have right to oppose same-sex marriage: Pell
PRIESTS who support and encourage people in their parishes to actively campaign against same-sex marriage have the blessing of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.
Responding to concerns expressed by Australian Marriage Equality (AME) which campaigns for same-sex marriage, about “undue involvement by the clergy in a debate about the reform of a civil law” Cardinal Pell said that while it is inappropriate for priests or Bishops to serve as legislators or decision makers in government, they enjoy the same rights to freedom of speech and to participate in public debate as everyone else.
Speaking on behalf of AME, Acting National Convenor Peter Furness claimed that the Church’s “instructions to ordinary Catholics to lobby against marriage equality is a breach of the division between Church and State”.
AME’s comments came after the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference urged Bishops around the country to ask their priests to sign petitions and contact politicians to protect marriage after members of the House of Representatives were asked “to gauge their constituents’ views on ways to achieve equal treatment for same sex couples including marriage”.
The motion to ask MPs to do this was sponsored by Greens member for Melbourne Adam Brandt.
Cardinal Pell said that involvement in public debate is first and foremost the work of lay people.
“The Federal Parliament has resolved that MPs should consult with their constituents about same-sex marriage and, as constituents, Catholics have the same right as other Australians to express their views to their MPs,” the Cardinal said.
The prelate added that priests are continuing a proud tradition of working with lay people and members of Religious Orders to defend important values and the rights of others – in this case, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which has been significantly eroded and constrained wherever same-sex marriage has been legalised.
Mr Furness also expressed concern that campaigning by the Church or priests against same-sex marriage will incite discrimination and prejudice. “We have no intention of doing anything to encourage prejudice or unjust discrimination against non-heterosexual people,” Cardinal Pell says, pointing out the materials on this issue which have been circulated to parishes have been carefully prepared to focus on the fundamental question of marriage and to avoid any language that is even remotely inflammatory.
“For the Catholic Church, the issue of same-sex marriage is not primarily about homosexuality or discrimination, but about the nature of marriage, and the good things it makes possible because of its nature, for spouses, for families and for the community.”
On 20 December Mr Furness wrote to Cardinal Pell on the issue of civil and religious same-sex marriages and also seeking assurance Catholic clergy will not actively campaign against civil marriage of same-sex partners.
This letter was posted on the AME website soon after it was sent and before Cardinal Pell replied on 22 December.
In his reply, Cardinal Pell also referred to a 17 December article in the Washington Post summarising the way religious freedom has been restricted in the wake of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in some US states.
Cardinal Pell called on AME to disavow publicly the claim that opposition to same-sex marriage is a form of prejudice or discrimination, and to acknowledge that it is usually based on reasonable grounds, even if they are grounds with which proponents of same-sex marriage would not agree.