Archbp. Dolan on the consequences of contrary-to-nature unions

From WaPo:

NY archbishop worried polygamy, infidelity will be next step in redefinition of marriage

NEW YORK — New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan says he’s worried that the next step in the marriage debate will be another redefinition to allow multiple partners and infidelity. [Not to mention marry their dogs.]

Writing on his blog Thursday, Dolan also lamented the anti-Catholic venom that surfaced in the gay marriage battle, saying he’s worried that “believers will soon be harassed, threatened, and hauled into court” for their convictions.

He also apologized to those in the gay community who may have been offended by the church’s stance, saying he’s honored that so many gays are at home in the Catholic Church and that his goal from the start was “pro-marriage, never anti-gay.”

New York became the sixth and largest state to legalize gay marriage on June 24.

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25 Comments

  1. Frank H says:

    Much as I admire Abp. Dolan, I do wish he would stop apologizing when none is needed. If some are offended by the Church’s stance on homosexuals and/or homosexuality, it is because they don’t understand it. The constant apologizing makes the Church appear to have been wrong, when it has not been.

  2. beez says:

    I too feel that the Archbishop’s comment that “his goal from the start was ‘pro-marriage, not anti-gay.'”

    Well, yes, we ARE “anti-gay” in that anyone who identifies himself as “gay” is clearly accepting and embracing the lifestyle that goes with that term. We are “anti-gay” because, married or not, it is contrary to the teachings of the Church.

    Frank is correct: Stop Apologizing for Being Catholic!

  3. Andrew says:

    “gay community”? What in the world is that? Stop me before I say something inappropriate.

  4. Patti Day says:

    Abp. Dolan is very likeable. He looks like a fun Archbishop, as Archbishops go, but…and it’s a big one…I don’t think he did enough prior to the ‘vote’ to put the Church’s message out on why this is not a civil rights issue, and the potential for outrageous harassment and litigation on all fronts. There are alot of confused Catholics out there, wondering why the Church doesn’t publicly condemn Mr. Cuomo’s role in this, but is very willing to tell your basic Catholic-on-the-street, to forego Holy Communion, give up their fornicating ways, and repent. Why would the good Archbishop feel like he needs to apologize because Gays might have been offended by truth?

  5. Mrs. O says:

    The only apology should be in the form of apologetics. Those Catholics who are defending this immoral behavior are indifferent to the impact Christian morality has on a society and how necessary it is to uphold basic truth. We hold these truths to be self evident, and everyone should be able to see that a m/m “union” is an, untruth. I am waiting for them to allow doctors to speak of the harm this sort of behavior has on the body. Anal cancer, etc. They are coming out strong with warnings, graphic pictures, about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, we should be able to do the same about these behaviors.

  6. William of the Old says:

    Then there is Bishop DiMarzio, also of New York: http://newyork.christianpost.com/news/brooklyn-bishop-bans-all-politicians-who-voted-for-gay-marriage-51958/
    Quite a difference………………………….

  7. Patti Day says:

    Kudos to the Bishop. Raymond Arroyo interviewed Bishop DiMarzio on last night’s live broadcast of ‘The World Over’ (EWTN). I missed most of it, but it will be rebroadcast several times before next Thursday’s edition.

  8. plzl says:

    Agree all…thanks for sharing Bishop DiMarzio’s view W of the Old

  9. Cincinnati Priest says:

    While I agree that part of Abp. Dolan’s response was somewhat unfortunate and weaker than it could be on the “apologizing for nothing” score, it should be read in context. If you read it carefully, it is something of a conditional apology. Also, the rest of the text makes clear that the Church stands by her teaching and won’t back down on it.

    Here’s the relevant excerpt:

    “Five, though, if we did hurt anybody in our defense of marriage, I apologize. We tried our best to insist from the start that our goal was pro-marriage, never anti-gay. But, I’m afraid some within the gay community were offended. As I replied recently to a reporter who asked if I had any message to the gay community, ‘Yes: I love you. Each morning I pray with and for you and your true happiness and well-being. I am honored that so many of you are at home within our Catholic family, where, like the rest of us, we try, with the help of God’s grace and mercy, to conform our lives to Jesus and His message. If I have offended any of you in my strenuous defense of marriage, I apologize, and assure you it was unintentional.’ “

  10. anna 6 says:

    While it is true that the church is anti “gay” marriage, practice or lifestyle…we are not anti homosexual people.

    We run the risk of being unfair and dishonest when we don’t acknowledge that heterosexuals have done at least as much…if not more…to damage marriage than homosexuals.

    I think that Arch. Dolan is sending the right message.

  11. irishgirl says:

    I’m with Frank and beez-we should Stop Apologizing For Being Catholic!
    I read Archbishop Dolan’s blog entry, and I find it very weak. The Catholic Bishops in New York State (as well as the rest of the country) should stand as one and CONDEMN homosexual ‘marriage’ and homosexual activity in particular! And HURL SOME EXCOMMUNICATIONS against Cuomo and other CINO politicians who cowardly voted in this abomination! Show some SPINE, Your Excellencies! Stand up as did St. John Fisher against Henry VIII!
    What’s so hard about saying that homosexuality is WRONG! It can never be RIGHT!
    [sorry for shouting, Father Z-I’m just so fed up and heartsick over the fact that perverted ‘marriage’ has become legalized in New York State]

  12. irishgirl says:

    And ditto what Patti Day said, too!

  13. wolfeken says:

    When bishops such as Timothy Dolan are brave enough to start publicly excommunicating Catholics who vote for sodomy and abortion, instead of mere blog posts on the general issues, then Catholic politicians will perhaps start listening.

    Not that there’s anything wrong with a blog post, but it’s time to get a lot more serious.

  14. benedetta says:

    Agree with Anna6. I do hope that this apology would be recognized and embraced. The Church has witnessed to the truth. Archbishop Dolan expresses fears that well intentioned people will be threatened and harassed. He did not create the situation which exists whereby marriage, parenthood in general, the practice of faith and particularly Catholicism has been attacked. Going forward though the leaders of the Church are well positioned to support and encourage the faith even though it will not be comprehended by media. Their responsibility that the teachings of the Church be faithfully transmitted, that people are permitted to worship in truth and reverence is multiplied though. It seems Archbishop Dolan acknowledges and is well aware of the historical attacks and as well the way in which leaders in the faith have supported both the design and results. I agree that efforts to make the truth of the Church’s teachings with respect to the sanctity of all human life should now be redoubled.

  15. amenamen says:

    I wish Catholics would avoid using the terminology of the sexual revolution.

    Is there really such a thing as the “gay” (sic) “community” (sic)?

  16. Brooklyn says:

    Just what is the Archbishop apologizing for? Is he apologizing for the fact that those engaged in the homosexual lifestyle are very likely going to hell unless they repent? Is he apologizing for the fact that homosexual activity is a mortal sin in the Catholic Church? Is he apologizing for what God commands? Maybe we should start apologizing to adulterers, murderers, thieves, etc. We do not show any love for people by apologizing for sin. We need to call it what it is. Their eternal lives depend on it. Are we going to apologize to them when they end up in hell? Political correctness, in my opinion, should be a mortal sin because it endangers souls.

    Archbishop Dolan was not even in the State of New York, much less in Albany, when this vote came up in the legislature. He was MIA. Yes, he does need to apologize to the “gay community” (how can a Bishop of the Catholic Church use such a term?). He needs to apologize for trying so hard to be liked and for not doing more to pull them out of hell fire.

  17. JKnott says:

    I agree with amenamen.
    Archbishop sets no one a good example by referring to individuals as “gay”. It gives a false message and bad example to the faithful.
    I read somewhere tht the Archdiocese has no plans to bar Cuomo and the others from Communion. Human respect is spineless. .

    All opinions and talk, as interesting and brilliant they may be, mean NOTHING when compared to the simplicity and truth of this:
    LUKE 17:1-2 And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come but woe to him throuh whom they come.. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his nect, and he cast into the sea, than tha he should scandalize one of these little one.

    St. John Vianney, priests’ priest and man’s man
    pray for priests and bishops

  18. JKnott says:

    @Brooklyn Well said.

  19. St. Rafael says:

    If Abp. Dolan is so concerned about where the debate on marriage is heading, he could have actually tried to stop gay marriage from becoming law in the first place.

    If he had put as much energy to stop it from being voted into law as he did negotiating the religious exemption provision for the Church, it would not have passed.

    It is scandalous and disgraceful that instead of trying to get gay marriage defeated, he actually secured its passage by negotiating and securing the religious exemption during the final hours. There was no threats of excommunication to any of the Catholic legislators or even serious all out effort to defeat the bill by Dolan and the other NY bishops. All the bishops wrote a simple letter of opposition after its passage.

  20. Ef-lover says:

    Ditto to irishgirl, Brooklyn and St. Rafael–
    The Bishops of NY did nothing to rally the troops , the rank and file catholics in the pew, on this issue . No calls on parishes to write letters or mail postcards( like they did on an issue close to their heart like capital punishment, or have a rosary crusade, or all night adoration or to say a special pray after all masses and the like — we pray for the bishops fundraised is a success and my parish said prayers at all masses for weeks for the parish capital fundraiser ( 2nd in 6 years) to raise a lot of money but no call to pray for keeping marriage holy, between a man and woman

  21. MJ says:

    Like your red comment, Fr Z. :)

  22. DisturbedMary says:

    I wish Archbishop Dolan would stop sounding defensive about whether or not catholics love gays. Enough already. This argument has nothing to do with whether or not catholics love gays. That’s the hate argument the activists preach to take our attention off the wolves who are out to destroy the Catholic Church. Wolves who eat souls. Gay wolves. Confused wolves. Sinful wolves. catholic wolves. Heterosexual wolves. Politician wolves. Lawyer wolves. Professional wolves. Am I clear? I don’t love wolves. I don’t recommend petting them. I will pray for them to—put them in the hands of the Good Shepherd. But I do not want them anywhere near myself, my family, my loved ones, my soul.

    (Sorry if I sound like my head is going to explode. )

  23. irishgirl says:

    Well said, Brooklyn, St. Rafael and Disturbed Mary!
    Yeah, my head’s going to explode, too!

  24. St. Rafael says:

    NY Times article on how Gay Marriage was passed:

    Behind N.Y. Gay Marriage, an Unlikely Mix of Forces
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/nyregion/the-road-to-gay-marriage-in-new-york.html?pagewanted=3

    “…It was befuddling to gay-rights advocates: The Catholic Church, arguably the only institution with the authority and reach to derail same-sex marriage, seemed to shrink from the fight.

    As the marriage bill hurtled toward a vote, the head of the church in New York, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, left town to lead a meeting of bishops in Seattle. He did not travel to Albany or deliver a major speech in the final days of the session. And when he did issue a strongly worded critique of the legislation — he called it “immoral” and an “ominous threat” — it was over the phone to an Albany-area radio show.

    Inside the Capitol, where a photograph of Mr. Cuomo shaking hands with Archbishop Dolan hangs in the governor’s private office, the low-key approach did not seem accidental. Mr. Cuomo had taken pains to blunt the church’s opposition.
    When he learned that church leaders had objected to the language of the marriage legislation, he invited its lawyers to the Capitol to vent their frustration.
    Mr. Cuomo even spoke to Archbishop Dolan about the push for same-sex marriage, emphasizing his respect and affection for the religious leader. An adviser described the governor’s message to Archbishop Dolan this way: “I have to do what I have to do. But your support over all is very important to me.”
    By the time a Catholic bishop from Brooklyn traveled to Albany last week to tell undecided senators that passing same-sex marriage “is not in keeping with the will of their people,” it was clear the church had been outmaneuvered by the highly organized same-sex marriage coalition, with its sprawling field team and, especially, its Wall Street donors.
    “In many ways,” acknowledged Dennis Poust, of the New York State Catholic Conference, “we were outgunned. That is a lot to overcome.”
    With the church largely out of the picture, the governor’s real worry was the simmering tension in the Senate Republican delegation….”

  25. cyejbv says:

    Pbbt. Classic NYTimes propagandizing below, and they’re gettin’ to some of you! … Armchair archbishops everywhere eh?
    “…It was befuddling to gay-rights advocates: The Catholic Church, arguably the only institution with the authority and reach to derail same-sex marriage, seemed to shrink from the fight….”

    Because the Times has a pretty casual relationship with unbiased reporting, let us remember much of what they write is designed to indoctrinate, not inform. So while the initial quote I pasted from St Rafael is misleading, the next blurb will never be true:
    “With the church largely out of the picture, …”

    Church*

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