http://www.doy.org/viewpast.asp?ID=1358

Friday, February 13, 2004

Defending matrimony is new challenge,
pro-life supporters told

Bishop Tobin: The signs of decline in respect for marriage are everywhere in our society

By Lou Jacquet

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO — The support and defense of matrimony is emerging as a major moral challenge of our time, Bishop Thomas Tobin told the 275 persons gathered at St. Dominic Church Jan. 24 for the sixth annual Diocesan Mass for Life.

The overall purpose of the annual event has not changed, the bishop noted in remarks to begin his homily: “We come to renew our commitment to human life and to ask God’s blessing upon all the work we do to promote respect for human life in our society, in our nation, in our culture.

“As we know so well, human life is a sacred, a precious gift of God to be reverenced in every situation and in every circumstance. So we firmly reject anything that is opposed to the gift of life. We reject abortion, and euthanasia, and capital punishment, and violence, and domestic abuse, and child abuse and any form of addiction that robs us of the gift of life. All of those things are contrary to the reverence and the gift of life that God has bestowed upon us.”

That said, he added, “the key to our struggle on behalf of human life, without a doubt, is the sin of abortion” because… “we know and we have come to recognize that, if we are able to kill babies to meet one agenda, then other forms of violence will be easily tolerated in our society.”

The bishop recalled how, in 1994, Mother Teresa of Calcutta had written a letter to the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in which she said, in part, “America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called ‘right to abortion’ has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate of human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father’s role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts, a child, as a competitor, an intrusion, and as an inconvenience.”

Sadly, he said, her insights became all too true. “We can see how those words have been proven to be very true, sad yet true. How many other circles of violence have resulted because we recognized, and as a society, accepted the ability to kill babies to meet one agenda item! So certainly our struggle against abortion will continue and we’ll do our very, very best to transform society and our nation in that regard, because it is the front line in our defense of human life.”

The bishop then turned his attention to “another foundation of human life that’s being challenged today…the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.”

The Mass readings (Genesis 1:26-28, 31a and John 2:1-11) were chosen, he said, to “remind us of our very basic and fundamental beliefs about this wonderful sacrament… We believe…that marriage is an intimate union of one man and one woman instituted and designed by God himself from the very beginning. We believe that marriage was raised to a level of sacrament, one of the most beautiful sacraments of the Church, by our Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe that the purposes of marriage are two: to share love, in a very beautiful and intimate way; and the procreation of new life, in the gift of children. We believe that anything that undermines the purposes of marriage is a sin, a serious sin, against God. And we believe that our society and our nation has a serious duty to support and defend marriage for the common good.”

The value of Holy Matrimony in our faith and in our society should be very self-evident, the bishop noted. Yet that is not the case. “We know that we live in a culture today when even the institution of marriage is approached with conflicting views... The signs of decline of respect for matrimony are everywhere. We know that so many young people are living together without bothering to get married, without the blessing and grace of matrimony. Too many marriages end in failure, without any attempt to save them, without any attempt at reconciliation, because people don’t take that commitment seriously.”

At the same time, he said, “many people, including many of our own Catholics, have eliminated the procreative aspects of matrimony because of their illicit use of contraception, without any openness to new life at all. Another serious offense against the plan of God is that some people…with their own agendas now are promoting same-sex unions and demanding that the state, and sometimes even the Church, recognize these illicit unions as acceptable alternatives to holy matrimony. A new cultural force is being foisted upon us, driven by its own agenda, and apparently will not rest until it meets its own goals.”

Bishop Tobin urged all present to read the pamphlet from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops entitled “Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-sex Unions.” A copy was given to each person attending the Mass.

What can Catholics do in the midst of such a culture to uphold marriage? First, the bishop said, “we have to pray for God’s guidance and God’s blessing as we confront this critical issue.” The faithful also need to support matrimony and Catholic family life in their own families, he added, including supporting those in difficult marriages. He suggested asking priests, deacons and teachers “to boldly preach about and teach about the value of human life and the importance of family life and the dignity, the God-given dignity of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.” He asked those present to be involved in the public debate over the issue and to “insist that our laws reflect these values, which are not simply Catholic values but values that are part of the common good of society, and the natural law that God has built into each one of us.” Writing letters, calling talk radio shows, contacting legislators and voting on these issues are all important, he stressed.

Speaking of what has happened in American culture in regard to marriage, Bishop Tobin said “a perfect example” occurred when the Ohio Senate recently passed the Defense of Marriage Act. “It’s a good act, a step in the right direction, a strong act, a strong law. And apparently, Governor Taft is going to sign that bill in the very near future and it will strengthen Ohio law on behalf of marriage and make it one of the best marriage laws in the nation.”

Unfortunately, he said, some local legislators, including Marc Dann and Bob Hagan, spoke and voted against the bill. He urged those present to call their offices or write them a letter to ask, “respectfully, and lovingly, ‘What in the heck is wrong with you guys? Why would you speak against and vote against a law that upholds the basic value of matrimony and family life in our society and our culture. What are you thinking? As citizens and as voters and as taxpayers, we want you to support family life and matrimony in our state.’”

In closing, the bishop thanked those present for coming to the Mass and for their ongoing efforts. “Thank you…for your commitment to human life. It is the great moral challenge of our time. God will bless and reward your commitment to the sanctity of human life. In the Gospel, we heard this story of the wedding feast of Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine. We believe firmly that the presence and the grace of Christ can change the water of our misguided culture into the wine of God’s blessed kingdom. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, may Jesus help us to do so.”