-255x269.jpg "Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, England")
LONDON — Leaders of the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom have reacted strongly against the prime minister’s recent statement that he intends to support same-sex “marriages” in churches.
Prime Minister David Cameron “seems utterly determined to undermine one of the key foundations of our society. ... He is luring the people of England away from their common Christian values,” Bishop Philip Egan of the Diocese of Portsmouth said in a recent statement.
The bishop said Cameron is drawing the English from their “Christian patrimony” and is “forcing upon us a brave new world, artificially engineered.”
In a television interview Dec. 7, Cameron said he is an enthusiastic supporter of marriage, and he doesn’t want “gay people to be excluded from a great institution.”
Not only is he pushing for legislation of same-sex “marriage”; he also wants churches to be allowed to conduct weddings for homosexual couples.
In March, however, his government wrote that “legislation would be clear that no religious organization could conduct a religious marriage ceremony on religious premises for same-sex couples.”
In the interview, Cameron reiterated his claim that no religious groups would be forced to hold these ceremonies in their places of worship. He added that there will be legal safeguards protecting those churches that may be sued under equality and human-rights laws for refusing to hold same-sex weddings on their premises.
Bishop Egan stressed in his response, however, that “if the prime minister proceeds with these intentions, he will pervert family values, with catastrophic consequences for the well-being and behavior of future generations.”
The move would “strangle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church in Britain to conduct its mission.”
He questioned whether Catholic institutions and persons would be allowed to express Church teaching and act in accordance with it.
Bishop Joseph Devine of the Diocese of Motherwell was more outspoken. He wrote a letter to Cameron Dec. 9 complaining that the prime minister claims to advance Christian values while undermining family life and conscience protections.
“You vacillate, ambivalent about the role you wish to perform — the disciple of David or Nero,” the Scottish bishop wrote, in reference to Cameron’s failure to support in a European court British Christians who have been fired for wearing crosses at their workplaces.
“With such a contradiction between your statements and actions, on what basis can you expect anyone — Christians in particular — to trust or respect you?”
Bishop Devine echoed the concern of Bishop Egan, saying, “I suspect it is only a matter of time before you go one step further and outlaw the teaching of Christian doctrine on sexual morality on the grounds of discrimination.”
Cameron is a member of the Conservative Party, which holds the majority in the British Parliament. Of the three major political parties in the U.K., it is the least progressive.
While the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are avid supporters of the legalization of “gay marriage,” the Conservative Party is sharply divided on the issue. According to The Telegraph, at least 130 Conservative members of parliament will vote against the measure.
The Church of England has also spoken up against Cameron’s proposal.
“Insistence on the traditional understanding of marriage ... is based on a conviction that the consequences of change will not be beneficial for society as a whole,” read a Dec. 7 statement from the ecclesial community.
“Because we believe that the inherited understanding of marriage contributes a vast amount to the common good, our defense of that understanding is motivated by a concern for the good of all in society.”
The Church of England emphasized that the traditional understanding of marriage emphasizes the complementarity of man and woman and that the acceptance of “gay marriage” asserts that “men and women are simply interchangeable individuals.”
George Carey, a former archbishop of Canterbury, the senior position in the Church of England, said, “The matter is so serious ... that we cannot allow politicians to plunder something as sacred” as the institution of marriage.
“We need to strengthen marriage, not weaken it.”
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its only a matter of time before this abomination of same-sex depravity is legalized throughout the world and that Churches will be forced to marry these deviates of immoral unnatural behavior and all will be lost..as the Church didn’t grow a backbone to stand up to the feminists of the 70’s and abortion and birth control were allowed to flourish, so to the Catholic Church in its week response for the homosexual lifestyle and same sex attraction has allowed this disease of moral depravity to infect ALL of society…when the Catholic Church is forced by the governments to marry these people of same-sex depravity and they have these “depraved marriages” inside the sanctuary of the Church…I truly believe then THAT GOD HIMSELF WILL DIRECTLY INTERVENE AND AS HE DID AT SODOM AND GOMORRAH WILL UNLEASH HIS JUSTICE AND ANGER UPON THE WORLD..
It’s only a matter of time that this will be forced upon the Church in England and then eventually in the States. If only people would begin to see this for what it really is: the rise of the anti-Christ and the Second Coming Of Jesus. There’s a reason why the last vision of Fatima consisted of the Holy Family. We need to wise up and get ready. While it is true that no one knows the day or the hour the plan is already in place. The final attack comes against the family unit because the first attack occurred against the family unit in Eden. That’s where it began, that’s where it will end. Let us pray for each other.
Wonderful - two of the extremely small number of courageous Bishops in the UK right now. Bring it on!
An interesting article on this general topic has been published on the Atlantic web site. It is titled: “Where Masturbation And Homosexuality Do NOT exist.” The Atlantic article is by Alice Dreger and is about research done among a number of Central African peoples by anthropologists Barry and Bonnie Hewlett from Washington State University. Their research is in “African Study Monographs.”
Probably unintentionally the research powerfully undercuts some of the arguments made by pro-Gay “marriage” propagandists.
This is the kind of response we need to hear from our bishops. God bless them. Our Lady of Walsingham, keep them in your Motherly care.
Pastors…....just lock the doors and pray for the prime-minister of the uk..
lja/JMJ
Is not the Queen the Head of the Church of England? Why is she so silent about this important issues??? I am just wondering. Thanks
Is this a new meaning for “Politics makes strange bedfellows”?
I am rather surprised that on the whole question of active (i.e. practising homosexuality), I have never heard any mention of the sin of Sodomy or sodomites. This is the second sin in the list of four sins ‘crying to heaven for vengeance’ - a very grave offence against GOD
Almighty. We all know from the first book of the Bible about the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and How these cities were completely destroyed by fire and brimstone. Later in the Bible Saint Paul in the New Testament did not mince his words on Sodomy - Read St Paul to the Romans and others of his Epistles!
Surely the so called Western World has reached similar corruption and degradation. How Long Oh Lord, How Long?
The decay that started with King Henery VIII continues. He destroyed his own marriage then COE abondened one doctrine after another. Now England’s leaders are continuing the process. When you step away from the Church that Jesus started, it’s down hill all the way.
“Is not the Queen the Head of the Church of England? Why is she so silent about this important issues???”
Frankly, the Queen is just a rubber stamp with legs. She has no influence on the conduct of state affairs.
This is the head-of-state who signed into law the Abortion Act (1967)and consigned 7 million UK citizens to a grisly fate in the nation’s abortion mills. We UK Catholics are certainly not looking to her to save us from this diabolic legislation. If anything, I would expect her to support Cameron in forcing “gay marriage” on to the British people, much against our will.
This is a hot-button issue. The Christian religion asserts marriage is between one man and one woman. Are we losing our moorings? It’s one thing for the state to declare same-sex marriage—but for the church to change its doctrines goes too far I think.
Marxists, including the cultural ones, clearly profess their anti-capitalist and anti-religious views, Conservative politicians, on the other hand, are a mixed bunch. Some of them are in the group only because of their belief in capitalism. These do not care about conservative moral values. Cameron is one of these fifty-pee conservatives. In moral issues he is no different from the Marxists,
He will cunningly begin by selling a plan in which Churches do not have to allow these same-gender ‘marriages’. Then we will soon find that Churches will be punished by the State for discriminating against homosexuals (or whoever else is covered by any re-definition). It happened with our adoption agencies. Watch this very cunning man very carefully.
By the way, when talking about churches does he include Muslim, Hindu and Sikh places of worship and gatherings? If not; why not?!
You’ve got to be kidding David! Think sodomy David.
David Cameron wants to destroy Christianity because, if the UK were a Christian country, he and his millionaire colleagues would have to share their wealth with the poor.
As usual we get depravity from the church now renamed the church of the endless molestation by its sex starved priests
And the depravity of the German pope UNexcommunicating a holocaust denier, bishop willliamson in 2009. Virtually all of our extended family except for a couple old folks have become episcopalians and are thrilled to go to church and have gays marrying there .
In America the second largest religion is - EX catholics. thats actuall per NCR
@ Akoni, The Queen is not permitted to interfer with politics though one wonders how she feels about this contenscious issue.
As usual we get depravity from the church now renamed the church of the endless molestation by its sex starved priests
This is the “repression” theory of Freud. Problem is, there’s no evidence of it. Sexual abuse occurs with as much frequency without the celibacy rules.
And the depravity of the German pope UNexcommunicating a holocaust denier, bishop willliamson in 2009.
The lifting of the excommunication occured before his views on the holocaust came to light. Afterwards, the Vatican’s policy is that Williamson must publicaly recant his views before he can return to any kind of office in the Church.
Virtually all of our extended family except for a couple old folks have become episcopalians and are thrilled to go to church and have gays marrying there .
In America the second largest religion is - EX catholics. thats actuall per NCR
Statistically the Episcopal church along with the traditional mainline denominations have been in a decline sharper than any other. Catholicism is a mixed bag. Where dioceses embrace secular progressivism like in Rochester, their Mass attendance, and numbers of new vocations are at the bottom of the list. Contrast that with diocses that adhere to tradition Catholicism—these are holding steady and even thriving. And when you go outside of America to Africa and Asia, which on the whole are unswervingly orthodox, it is thriving even more.
BillyWingartenson ,
From a doctrinal viewpoint, there’s no such thing as an “EX-catholic.” (Or even an “ex-Catholic.”)
I have nothing against Anglicans & actually attended an Episcopal church for several years as a child because my non-practising Catholic parents where a bit confused where to send us.The Episcopal church seemd kind of similar,had great music,& more importantly, noone asked embarrassing questions about whether our family attended Mass.
I was baptised as a child, attended CCD for a short time but have no real childhood memories of being at Mass.At 16 I figured out I was actually a baptised Catholic & was in the wrong church.I’ve been back in the fold ever since.
The Anglican Church has beautiful liturgical language & music, & often practises liturgical traditions we’ve neglected-like covering all the statues & crucifixes during Lent.It really saddens me to see what’s befalling Anglicans now.Music, language, “smells & bells” are all aesthetically pleasing, but it’s the truth,substance & foundation of a faith that really counts.Truth doesn’t change according to fashions.
Billy W: And I know lots of former Episcopalians—including a former Episcopal BISHOP—who are now Catholic. As a former Anglican priest (now lay Catholic) said, “I came to realize the Anglican church had all the external trappings, but none of the internals.”
To each his own; I’m sticking with Peter.
Gay marriage is being imposed, in the UK, even when the majority stand opposed to it.
This is from Spiked Online, the atheist magazine.
“As one gay writer has observed, gay-marriage advocates are obsessed with protecting homosexuals and their allegedly fragile rights from ‘the tyranny of the majority’, and have thus come to believe that ‘the courts are the place to go for the redress of grievances’ (1). A Tory-supporting columnist for the Telegraph counselled PM David Cameron to ignore ‘majoritarian opinion’ – which apparently doesn’t appreciate how important gay marriage is – and press ahead with his equal-marriage plans on the basis that ‘a government enacts civilising measures because they are the right thing to do, not because they are mentioned frequently in focus groups’. Here, as across the pro-gay marriage spectrum, a distinction is made between the ‘civilised’ elites who know the historic import of gay marriage and the public, with its tyrannical passions, who do not.”
http://www.spiked-online.com/site/article/13164/
Archbishop Peter Smith Archbishop of Southwark and Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales spoke on the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20699917
‘This response has ignored the key concern expressed by many people in this country; that is the proposed change to the meaning of marriage.
We are in danger of forgetting what marriage has always meant: a union of one man and one woman for love and mutual support, open to the procreation of children.
It is more than a way of recognising committed loving relationships. Marriage matters to families, stability, and the common good of society. We risk grave long term social loss by rushing into such ill-considered legislative change.
Religious freedom is not the primary issue in this debate, but it is very important. Any protections, whether or not they are cemented in statute, are open to challenge in the European Court of Human Rights and subject to the will of future Parliaments.
The prime minister is against statutory regulation of the press because he fears that a subsequent Parliament might amend the Act.
If future Parliaments cannot be trusted to respect the freedom of the press, can they truly be trusted to uphold these “quadruple locks” that supposedly protect religious freedom?
There are further causes for concern, for example, will teachers be able to teach that marriage is a union between a man and a woman?
Many strongly oppose a bill that will change the definition of marriage. The consultation showed that nearly half of the 228,000 questioned did not think that civil marriage should be open to same-sex couples and the figures did not take account of the petitions received, which were universally opposed and signed by over 620,000 people.
It is important that this debate is conducted calmly and reasonably and that we do not lose sight of the true meaning of marriage.’
When the Archbishop spoke of the Government’s consultation he may or may not have been aware that it was open to abuse. The Daily Telegraph reported “participation was not limited to UK residents despite claims that lobbying groups in the US had been attempting to recruit people to submit responses.”
http://c4m.org.uk/blog/
The Coalition for Marriage which has acquired over 620,000 signatures requires names and a valid UK post Code.
http://c4m.org.uk/signatures/
Bishop Devine wrote to Mr Cameron of dangers to family life and freedom of conscience.
‘Counsel from respected legal experts warn of the damage that redefining marriage will do to Christian religious freedom and the protection of family life, all of which will further undermine Christian freedom of conscience. We face the prospect of teachers being forced to teach against their religious beliefs or face dismissal (your own education minister refused to rule out such a possibility); the likelihood that parents would have no right to withdraw their child from lessons endorsing gay marriage; the probability of public sector workers losing their jobs for not promoting the government’s new vision of marriage and carers being rejected for fostering because of their Christian beliefs. This amounts to a serious threat to civil liberties even to the extent of preventing people doing things which are manifestly good for society… ‘
The text of the letter of Bishop Devine is on the Diocese of Motherwell website
http://www.rcdom.org.uk/documents/Letter2toPM.pdf
A letter from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor was published in the Daily Telegraph
“...Redefining marriage as simply a contract between individuals irrespective of their sex, without regard either to its procreative function or to the complementarity of the relationship between man and woman, would be an abuse of language. More important, it would weaken marriage by diminishing its implications and its significance. That, and not homophobia, is why many people outside what Mr Moore calls the culturally dominant “minority” are opposed to the Government’s proposal – and why more than 600,000 people have signed a petition against it. The state has the right to oversee the administration and legal aspects of marriage, but it has never been accepted that the state can dictate to individuals and society itself what marriage should mean to us. It is clear that many problems would arise if the legislation as now tabled were to be implemented.
In the run-up to the last election, David Cameron led us to believe that the strengthening of marriage as an institution was one of his important objectives; and the Conservative Party’s manifesto, which made no mention of “gay marriage”, included a proposed tax break for married couples. Nothing has been heard of the latter proposal, and instead of action to strengthen marriage we have the proposal to abandon the traditional understanding of marriage on the basis of a “consultation” which explicitly excluded the possibility of a negative result. Protestations that this is all fundamentally “conservative” ring a bit hollow.
It is difficult not to wonder how far the Prime Minister is someone whose steadiness of purpose can be relied on.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/9750925/Traditional-institution-of-marriage-is-central-to-the-welfare-of-society.html
Same sex-marriage force christian to abuse the grace fought by Jesus Christ on the Cross
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