USCCB statement regarding nationwide legalization of same-sex “marriage”

“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Please find below the official statement from the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding today’s nationwide legalization of same-sex “marriage”. I stand in solidarity with my brother Bishops and the teaching of the Church on the true nature of marriage, that is – the unity of one man and one woman, who come together in a loving union to support one another and raise a family.
Please pray that we as Catholics continue to remain faithful to God and His plan for humanity.
In Christ,
Bishop James S. Wall”

USCCB Statement:
The U.S. Supreme Court decision, June 26, interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage” “is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us,” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The full statement follows:
“Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable. Just as Roe v. Wade did not settle the question of abortion over forty years ago, Obergefell v. Hodges does not settle the question of marriage today. Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail. Today the Court is wrong again. It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.

The unique meaning of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is inscribed in our bodies as male and female. The protection of this meaning is a critical dimension of the “integral ecology” that Pope Francis has called us to promote. Mandating marriage redefinition across the country is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us, especially children. The law has a duty to support every child’s basic right to be raised, where possible, by his or her married mother and father in a stable home.
Jesus Christ, with great love, taught unambiguously that from the beginning marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman. As Catholic bishops, we follow our Lord and will continue to teach and to act according to this truth.

I encourage Catholics to move forward with faith, hope, and love: faith in the unchanging truth about marriage, rooted in the immutable nature of the human person and confirmed by divine revelation; hope that these truths will once again prevail in our society, not only by their logic, but by their great beauty and manifest service to the common good; and love for all our neighbors, even those who hate us or would punish us for our faith and moral convictions.
Lastly, I call upon all people of good will to join us in proclaiming the goodness, truth, and beauty of marriage as rightly understood for millennia, and I ask all in positions of power and authority to respect the God-given freedom to seek, live by, and bear witness to the truth.”

Talking Points:

This is a tragic ruling.
The Supreme Court has issued a tragic ruling, redefining marriage throughout the country by forcing states to license and recognize marriages between two persons of the same sex.
The Court is wrong—the Constitution does not require states to redefine marriage.
The Court’s decision will not stop public dialogue; the debate will and must continue.
Like Roe v. Wade, this decision will not end public debate.
Treating different things differently is not unjust. What’s been called “marriage equality” has ignored the very question at stake: what is marriage?
The ruling does not and cannot change what marriage really is.
No one and no court can make what is false true.
Marriage by its nature remains the union of one man and one woman—this is a matter of reason, not just faith.
Man and woman were designed by God for each other, and only a man and a woman can form a union that brings forth children.
Redefining marriage in the law is gravely unjust and affects everyone, especially children.
Marriage is the one institution that connects children to their mothers and fathers.
The law teaches, and this ruling will make it more difficult for future generations to know the truth about marriage and for children to understand their origins.
Mothers and fathers are irreplaceable; this ruling does not respect the rights of children to be raised, where possible, by their own married mother and father in a stable home.
Changing the definition of civil marriage affects thousands of laws at once, endangering the religious freedom of institutions and individuals who hold the authentic meaning of marriage as a union of one man and one woman.

We will continue to strive to ensure that all of our pastoral practices are consistent with the authentic teaching of the Church. This includes the practices of Catholic institutions.
We call on the Church to pray for family life and all people to strengthen marriage.
With renewed purpose we call upon all people of good will to promote and defend the unique meaning of marriage: one man, one woman, for life.
We must increase our efforts to strengthen marriages and families and rebuild a marriage culture.
We pray for all the future victims of this ruling, particularly children.
We continue to reach out with love and support to all people, including those who experience same-sex attraction. All people are loved by God and are called to love Him