Archbishop Dolan: ‘The problem is not homophobia but theophobia’
July 08, 2011
Reflecting on the recent passage of same-sex marriage in New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan offered “thanks to those courageous millions who valiantly fought this unfortunate project of social engineering … My brother bishops of New York were particularly prophetic.”
“We have been bloodied, and bruised, and, yes, for the moment, we have been defeated,” he added. “But, we’re used to that. So was the Founder of our Church.”
Archbishop Dolan added:
We do worry indeed about this freedom of religion. Editorials already call for the removal of guarantees of religious liberty, with crusaders calling for people of faith to be coerced to acceptance of this redefinition. If the experience of those few other states and countries where this is already law is any indication, the churches, and believers, will soon be harassed, threatened, and hauled into court for their conviction that marriage is between one man, one woman, forever, bringing children into the world …
The real forces of “intolerance” were unmasked here. The caricature, of course, is that those defending traditional marriage were the right-wing bigots and bullies …As one respected columnist has observed, the problem is not homophobia but theophobia — a hatred by some of God, faith, religion, and the Church …
The Church has always stood-up for marriage — one man and one woman, united in lifelong and faithful love, leading to new life in children – whenever and wherever it was in danger. Veterans my age and over can remember sixty years ago when we fought widespread, no-fault divorce, convinced it would lead to a cheapening of the marriage bond and harm our kids (as, of course, scholarly studies now report has, indeed, happened). Recall how the Church resisted the “contraceptive mentality,” fearing it would rupture the sacred bond between love and the procreation of children. Then, remember how the Church sounded the alarm over rising rates of promiscuity, adultery, pre-marital sex, and cohabitation prior to or instead of marriage. And now we ring the steeple bell again at this latest dilution of the authentic understanding of marriage, worried that the next step will be another redefinition to justify multiple partners and infidelity.
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Posted by: ILM -
Jul. 08, 2011 9:46 PM ET USA
Read Bishop Tobin of R.I.
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Posted by: Franz10108953 -
Jul. 08, 2011 6:30 PM ET USA
I agree with prior comments. The Church and the American Bishops in particular have rung no alarm bells about the creeping immorality in the USA. Three or more parishes in San Francisco recognized gay pride day in their Sunday bulletins this year and encouraged parishioners to march in the parade...oh maybe that's where they've been ringing the bells!
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
Jul. 08, 2011 4:19 PM ET USA
I have yet to hear words from the parish pulpit against contraception, divorce and remarriage and homosexuality. I have been back in the Church for over seventeen years. I am still waiting.
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Posted by: -
Jul. 08, 2011 3:45 PM ET USA
Did the Church in the West really "resist the contraceptive mentality", Your Eminence? Or did they, in fact, silently acquiesce to it, or even openly foment it, ala Charles Curran? And is not the relative silence from Catholic pulpits on the grave evil of homosexual behavior not just further silent acquiescence in another evil?
