In draft of pastoral letter, US bishops defend marriage against attacks

October 13, 2009

At their annual meeting this fall, the US bishops will discuss the draft of a pastoral letter on marriage. The draft-- which has been obtained and published in its entirety by the National Catholic Reporter-- emphasizes that authentic Christian marriage is a sacramental reality rather than an "individualistic project."

Entitled "Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan," the draft pastoral advances the Catholic teaching that Christian marriage is ordered toward two related ends: the good of the spouses and the rearing of children. Today, the draft notes, that understanding of marriage is under attack.

The bishops' draft pastoral letter lists four major challenges to Christian marriage today: the routine use of contraception, the rise of same-sex marriage, the prevalence of divorce, and the wide acceptance of cohabitation before marriage. Each of these trends contributes to the erosion of marriage, the draft argues, and thereby undermines the fundamental basis of a healthy society.

The draft pastoral is a response to the US bishops' National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, approved by the episcopal conference five years ago. The draft pastoral letter is currently being circulated among all the American bishops. The draft, and any amendments proposed by individual bishops, will be discussed at their autumn meeting.

The National Catholic Reporter, in publishing the full draft, accompanies the text with an editorial denouncing "this turkey of a text," and saying that the bishops should "scrap the entire text of the proposed pastoral letter on marriage and start fresh."

 

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Further information:

• Bishops' draft pastoral warns of dangers to marriage (National Catholic Reporter)
• Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan (USCCB document as reprinted by National Catholic Reporter)
• On marriage, the bishops should start over (National Catholic Reporter editorial)