An Impossible Right: Why 'Same-Sex Marriage' is Wrongheaded

I thought today I would share this important interview with Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco from 2013 that is well worth revisiting at this time. Why can't all our Bishops be like this? I know it takes great courage, but surely that is their calling? We get lots of waffle about how complex and difficult these issues are; what has all their prevarication and fawning to the homosexual agenda bought for Christ's Church? We need to have the courage to speak the truth clearly and with confidence; speak the truth in love motivated with the best interests of all of our society.

I have written about Archbishop Cordileone a couple of times before, here and here. He is clear, to the point, succinct, intelligent. He shepherds his flock with great courage, courage that is so rare today (why Lord, why?)

In this interview he shows how well he understands the whole of this argument and that SSM is not about "Marriage" in reality, it is about societal affirmation. Rather than oppose SSM, the Archbishop sees his work as rebuilding the damaged Marriage culture which already causes so many problems for society. He sees SSM as the complete destruction of the fundamental understand of Marriage which St. Augustine speaks of as having three goods; permanence, fidelity and openness to children. He wants to retain a legal structure that connects children with their parents; Marriage is a natural state- this is how we procreate- a conjugal union. Constitutional SSM damages the Marriage culture further (perhaps beyond the point of no return) because the law is a teacher and this law will redefine Marriage out of existence. Archbishop Cordileone explains how this happens and what the real effects are and will be on our society: more children growing up without a mother or a father which is a deprivation. "Fatherlessness" plagues our society and causes all kinds of social ills; we can all recognise this. The solution is not to provide children with two mothers or two fathers.

Just a bit of this sort of teaching from our Bishops & priests would encourage the faithful and give us the confidence to stand up against the tide of secularism which seeks to betray Christ and marginalise the Church.