Bishop Releases Pastoral Letter on Marriage
Bishop Richard Malone of the Diocese of Portland is releasing a pastoral letter which will be used extensively to teach the faithful about the gift of marriage and the need to embrace and preserve it. A pastoral letter is a fairly infrequent and detailed document which examines an issue of importance for the purpose of teaching. So far, the bishop has written three during his time as Bishop of Portland.
The letter is called, “Marriage: yesterday…today…always.” During a media gathering this afternoon, the bishop explained why he chose this topic:
“I was inspired to write about the beauty of marriage because many people have forgotten the unique and particular qualities that must be present to constitute a marriage, including having the intention of raising a family. It is also timely in light of the many threats to marriage; the attempt to redefine marriage is but one.”
Bishop Malone explained the Church does not seek to impose a law or belief on anyone, but to add its voice to the public debate about the push to redefine marriage. To explain the fullness of marriage, the pastoral uses sacred scripture and 2000 years of Christian teaching as well as the use of reason and natural law.
“We see marriage lived out in homes of the faithful and of no faith at all— people who live this ideal by reason alone. Marriage is the foundation of family and society and it strengthens the loving and lasting intimacy of man and woman who are open to new life.”
Brian Souchet, the Director of the Office for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage for the diocese says the pastoral will be discussed in Catholic schools, parishes, and special gatherings and is available here.
Source: Press release, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
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James 2:18 says "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
In my opinion, not fighting this reprehensible bill exhibits an appalling lack of faith. I promise you, although I DO NOT live in Maine, I will do everything I possibly can to speak out against this bill and to stop it from passing through my donations and my encouragement of the groups fighting to stop it.
I hope the Bishop isn't speaking for Maine's Catholics, and I hope they will basically ignore this and work as hard as they all possibly can to stop this disgusting bill!
I'm sorry, but the Bishop is just wrong not to be leading the charge to stop this bill. I find that truly shocking. How DARE he let them get away with this without speaking out? THAT is a rhetorical question. He needs to change his mind about this. . . NOW . . . and encourage every priest to speak out against this bill.
The left-leaning headlines today do indeed seem to be basking in their imagined belief that The Church will not stand against their effort to redefine marriage:
Maine Diocese says it won't campaign against gay marriage...
Portland bishop says Catholic Church won't actively campaign against gay marriage
However...
I stand WITH Bishop Malone... this approach is consistent with the Church's obligation to teach the truth with love and charity.
We understand that regardless of how man, in his fallen state, might define "marriage" - the attempt for men to be wives to men and women to be husbands to women are illusory at best, and heretical at their worse.
Marriage will not really ever be redefined, regardless of what the silly people do. Pray and work.
Perhaps I'm just incapable of understanding you, but...
Your comment makes no sense.
What the heck are you talking about?
Moi?
Not at all! My reply was directed at the above comment,
... and posted in an untimely fashion right after you did.
Your reply actually filled in the blanks for me, as I was unaware of the media spin that you pointed out. As usual, the leftists didn't actually read the pastoral letter. They are in for a surprise!
Ah, yes... and upon further reflection, the media is yet again trying to divide and conquer the One True Church - this time by getting the dander up of parishioners like Ms. Grube who fell for the headlines, and is now misdirecting her frustration with the pagans toward Bishop Malone.
I have just finished reading the pastoral letter, and I intend to read it again several times.
May all Catholics, both those strong in faith, and those weak in faith, read this carefully and prayerfully. Amidst all the talking and politics, we need to be clear in presenting the truth about marriage.
May all non-Catholic people of good will take the time to read the letter carefully.
They as well as the Catholics need to know what the Church actually says about this important subject, rather than be misled by the false accusations of those who misrepresent the Church's teachings.
God Bless Bishop Malone!
To anyone confused by headlines, I recommend
1. READING THE PASTORAL LETTER ON MARRIAGE.
Still confused?
The bishop is doing his job, presenting to us the Church's teachings on the matter.
How about we layman concentrate on doing ours, by living those teachings in our public witness and vote!
Chris, the quote you gave isn't from the pastoral letter. I've read the letter, too. It isn't there. Yes, the letter is a beautiful justification for natural marriage and states clearly that the state shouldn't be in the business of redefining marriage, but nowhere does Bishop Malone encourage priests or parishioners to speak out or vote against this bill. There is no call to action; as far as I can see. What I think is that without that encouragement, this reprehensible bill will pass. What is our "public witness?" It needs to be more than our sole vote, made in silence alone in the voting booth. It needs to be that we encourage people to register to vote, actively, by volunteering to do voter registration and speaking FROM THE PULPIT about our responsibility to vote. It needs to be that we address FROM THE PULPIT specific proposed laws as being anathema to what we know to be true according to God's laws, and speak out against them.
Look, let me make this clear: if you don't think this bill isn't an attack on religious liberties in Maine that equals that of the Federal mandate forcing religious institutions to provide free contraception, you would be sadly mistaken. I'd prefer NOT to see Catholic Social Service Agencies stop being able to provide adoption services or foster care services to children the way they have in other states when gay "marriage" went into law. I'd rather NOT have the state eventually step in and tell Catholic Schools they have to hire gay teachers or that they can only teach about "partners" or "spouses" rather than Husbands and Wives. Don't even begin to think this bill stops at "marriage." It's just the opening salvo against religious liberty in Maine, and if it passes, it will have tragic consequences. I'm sorry the Bishop doesn't seem to see how urgent this is, but it seems that he does not.
Ms. Grube -
The quote I gave you is from a universal church document.
I fully understand your feelings on this matter, and perhaps it is because you do not live in Maine that you feel there is something lacking on the bishop's part. In fact, were he to read your comments on what needs to be done, I hardly think he would disagree with you - his leadership in our last fight was a blessing, many a weakling bishop would not have been willing to face this cross as he did.
As someone who was involved in our last fight to stop gay marriage a few years ago, let me reassure you that this bishop did these very things that you mention, and suffered the consequences of being faithful to Christ and His teachings.
Regardless of media spin, the nature of this letter, which was presented in a manner most appropriate to his teaching office as shepherd of our diocese, does not mean that he will abandon any other efforts that fall within his responsibility. He has already proven himself in both courage and fortitude when it comes to the issue of same-sex marriage.
I and all devout Catholics share the concerns that you mention, and we are willing and ready to do our part to defend the Church, and all of society from this evil - AGAIN.
If you wish to have a sample of other actions of his in regard to this matter, then you should know that He is a signatory to the Manhattan Declaration.
http://www.catholicmaine.com/blog/blog/2011/07/25/bishop-malone-culture-warrior/
As you can see here, our bishop is hardly a coward when it comes to calling the faithful to public witness - he was one of the first to object publicly:
http://www.catholicmaine.com/blog/blog/2012/01/24/obama-tramples-on-religious-freedom-bishop-malone-calls-for-protest/
Bishop Malone was one of the first to go national with a call-to-action against the Obama mandate. He was on EWTN radio within a week I think (ask the folks over at Maine's Catholic radio, The Presence, I heard it live there), and his strongly worded response, which is available somewhere on this site, was issued within days. His approach to this regurgitated call to engineer society by redefining marriage is entirely in keeping with Pope Paul IV's Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity issued back in 1965. The members of the Shepherd's flock clearly need to gather their strength:
I just want to hear the Bishop say definitively that he is personally voting against this bill and that he encourages all Catholics to not only vote against this bill for all the right reasons, but to talk about this among their fellow parishioners. Such discussions make people feel not quite so isolated in the onslaught there will be to intimidate people to vote FOR this bill. I'm sorry, let me state that differently. There will be a massive push to pass this bill, including intimidation, false persuasion, television advertising, precinct walking, etc. There is likely to be much less effort to ask people to vote against this bill.
People need to be strengthened not only by their own personal faith, but by the determination and resolve on the part of their faith community to see this bill defeated. For example, if parishioners put "Vote NO" lawn signs out, you can be certain they will be stolen and there will be cases where homes or cars will be vandalized. It WILL happen. People walking precincts with flyers or door hangers against this bill will be shouted at, called names, sworn at, told they're stupid and "on the wrong side of history," and even pushed around physically. People need to be forewarned that this will happen and know that they have the support of their church community. If someone organizes a bike-a-thon to ride or a caravan to drive through towns or cities carrying signs against this bill, they need to know they will be yelled at and flipped off. Businesses that put signs in their windows against this bill will be boycotted by some and demonstrated against by others, and maybe even vandalized. If you can picture what happened in Wisconsin with the union thugs pressuring people to stop Governor Walker from passing his budget bill months ago, you'll get a feel for what will be happening to get this bill passed. There will be gay demonstrations promoting the bill including children, but few real demonstrations against it, unless there is a concerted effort to rally the troops. We won't even discuss the television advertising and talk-radio discussions calling anyone who is against this bill a bigot and hater.
What I'm getting at is that I don't think the Bishop wants to put his flock through any of that. I know this. But I really think that He would be better advised to prepare people for what is going to happen, so they can help and encourage each other.
Karen:
As the director of the Office for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, I can assure you that your reading of the pastoral letter as some sort of white flag on the part of Bishop Malone is not a proper reading. As a diocese, we must move beyond the knee jerk reactions to every referendum battle that pops up and actively promote marriage for what it is: an institution that unites a man and a women with each other and any children born from their union. Your passion is commendable, but your condemnation of the pastoral letter simply because it is not a political manifesto is misplaced.
There will be plenty or opportunities to address the November referendum directly, and the bishop will no doubt take advantage of those opportunities. The purpose of the pastoral is to to teach. I hope Maine Catholics, rather than ignore the pastoral as you suggest, will take its message to heart and spread that message to their family and friends, Catholic and non- Catholic alike.
God bless,
Brian Souchet
Director, Office for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
marriage@portlanddiocese.org
http://beautyofmarriage.org
Thank you, Brian. It is truly so good to know these concerns are being taken seriously and not being treated dismissively. I agree, there will be plenty of opportunities over the months for the Bishop to speak out.
Having said that, please know that as things heat up, and they will, the Church's resolve and determination will be crucial. Parishes have to stand together against what they will be faced with. Trust me, this fight is going to get dirty.
Honestly, the Bishop's letter truly was beautiful. But the Church also needs to acknowledge that this is a fight. The letter was like reading a book about boxing and never stepping into the ring for a sparing match before being thrown into your first real fight. This was a great start, but only a start.
I genuinely thank the Bishop for his statement, and apologize for disparaging it. It's just that it is going to take so much more than that to win. The other side is already miles ahead in terms of knowing how to push this through using intimidation and bullying. The Church and everyone of faith in Maine needs to combine efforts and present a united, unflappable, uncompromising front to stop this referendum. I don't mean to sound alarmist, but I do mean to sound an alarm. If you don't see that the fight is already beginning, then you would be mistaken. I just hope we don't turn the other cheek on this one. It's too important to lose.
Karen
Karen -
Trust me, your concerns are not falling on deaf ears.
This fight is going to get dirty?
We know, many of us are still wearing the scars from the last one.
But as to winning or losing, I'm content to leave that in God's hands. In the end, all of this will glorify God.
This battle is first a spiritual battle. It is a fight that is taking place in hearts and minds.
In that respect, our Bishop, like a wise general who knows where the real enemy is, has just opened the battle with a broadside - the TRUTH.
The faithful need to close up the ranks, and pray that hearts will be opened to it.
If so, the real enemy, the one out to destroy souls, will not know what hit him...
Karen,
I don't know if you realize this or not, but Maine has already fought the redefinition of marriage back in 2009. This will be our second go around. We are very aware of the consequences of standing up to the bullies that wish to redefine marriage.
They are relentless and will not give up here in Maine. They are hoping to redefine marriage by a vote of the people. Their goal is to prove that the hearts and minds of people are changing in their favor, not only here in Maine but across the US. It would be a huge success for them if they won by a people's vote here in Maine.
These groups that wish to redefine marriage are also very aware that in Maine they only need to continue to bring an issue to the voters and eventually they will win. It only took them three times to finally pass an anti-discrimination law which made those with same-sex attraction a protected class.
Now they a hoping to do the same thing in redefining marriage. Our Bishop is a wonderful strong man. I am sure that his efforts within the Church will include some of the things that you mentioned. But have no fear, we will fight!
We need your prayers, and those of others that do not live in Maine. So please pray for the Church here in Maine and for all of us fighting this issue. Please pray that God will help us fight off this redefinition once again!
Thank you for your concerns. We are thankful that there are people like you supporting our efforts that do not live in Maine. God bless.
I am on a fantastic retreat that the diocese is running at the monastery in Kennebunk. Looking forward to a second talk on morality this morning. Most of the presenters are young adults. See so much hope for our Maine diocese. Will see Bishop Malone shortly at Mass for the closing of the retreat. Pray that next year the number on the retreat doubles again.
Am looking forward to reading the full text of the letter on marriage. When my marriage was falling apart over years I asked three specific priests for help and received none. I even quoted Canon Law as my need for assistance. I pray that in the future we couples will not be outsourced for help before the local parish helps to keep marriage and therefore parishes and especially families in tact. We need more Theology of the Body in Sunday homilies or short quotes in the Sunday bulletin. My personal witness tells of why I have chosen not to divorce after more than fifteen years of separation/abandonment. God is in the business of miracles and sometimes they seem to take forever.
Bishop Malone is no coward; he is a prayerful man who is doing battle on many fronts. He has my full support. This generation of Catholics are sadly uneducated about the evils of fornication, contraception, abortion, and homosexuality. Bishop Malone's approach may be the best, IF the media doesn't spin it like the Church is backing off. True, orthodox Catholics best be prepared for the wave of persecution that is coming.