Archbishop Dolan is at it again with his hate spewing rhetoric that has been definitive of his tenure as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This time, Dolan has “warned” President Obama that his failure to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), could lead to a “national conflict.” In a letter addressed to the President of the United States, Dolan argues that traditional marriage is best for society and includes an analysis by Dolan’s legal team that argues the Obama administration’s response is exercising “hostility” in its response to DOMA and “traditional marriage.”
According to the Washington Post (09/22/2011), the American bishops have framed their support for “traditional marriage” and DOMA around religious freedom… well, what about religions that support same-sex marriage? Doesn’t the Catholic Church’s political activism – oops, I mean teaching – infringe on the rights of other religions to exercise their teachings? Reform Judaism has support same-sex marriages for years; Episcopal dioceses have supported same-sex marriage for years; and a multitude of other faith communities have taught that same-sex marriage is a valid expression of love between two people.
I think the time has come for welcoming and affirming Catholics to demand that Archbishop Dolan assess whether the weight of the Catholic Church need be spent on an issue like marriage equality for LGBT people or, if instead, it should maintain its focus on building a world that supports love, peace, and charity. In the current global economic climate, the money that the Catholic Church has wasted on fighting marriage equality could have been spent on issues with a global presence — hunger, poverty, poor health conditions, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and human rights.
Archbishop Dolan, please walk outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and witness the homeless that lay on your steps… this is where the Church’s voice is needed. LGBT Catholics and all LGBT Americans should not fall victim to hate, but rather should be embraced and affirmed by a faith that preaches love and peace.
Queer Faith News 