In the gay marriage debate all the passion seems to be on the other side. People on our side are too busy caveating every argument with “I’m not anti-gay…” Here’s a rule – the side with the most caveats loses.
The New York Times was even befuddled about how absent the Catholic Church seemed on the issue of gay marriage in New York.
It was befuddling to gay-rights advocates: The Catholic Church, arguably the only institution with the authority and reach to derail same-sex marriage, seemed to shrink from the fight.
As the marriage bill hurtled toward a vote, the head of the church in New York, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, left town to lead a meeting of bishops in Seattle. He did not travel to Albany or deliver a major speech in the final days of the session. And when he did issue a strongly worded critique of the legislation — he called it “immoral” and an “ominous threat” — it was over the phone to an Albany-area radio show. Inside the Capitol, where a photograph of Mr. Cuomo shaking hands with Archbishop Dolan hangs in the governor’s private office, the low-key approach did not seem accidental. Mr. Cuomo had taken pains to blunt the church’s opposition.
When he learned that church leaders had objected to the language of the marriage legislation, he invited its lawyers to the Capitol to vent their frustration.
Mr. Cuomo even spoke to Archbishop Dolan about the push for same-sex marriage, emphasizing his respect and affection for the religious leader. An adviser described the governor’s message to Archbishop Dolan this way: “I have to do what I have to do. But your support over all is very important to me.”
By the time a Catholic bishop from Brooklyn traveled to Albany last week to tell undecided senators that passing same-sex marriage “is not in keeping with the will of their people,” it was clear the church had been outmaneuvered by the highly organized same-sex marriage coalition, with its sprawling field team and, especially, its Wall Street donors.
“In many ways,” acknowledged Dennis Poust, of the New York State Catholic Conference, “we were outgunned. That is a lot to overcome.”
This is heartbreaking.
This loss in New York will have reverberations throughout the entire country. And way too many Christians were too scared of being called bigots rather than standing up.
June 27, 2011 at 8:20 pm
Here is the clandestine Bishop Dolan, working "WAAAYYY behind the scenes":
http://www.novusordowatch.org/cheesehead.jpg
If you are willing to wear the cheese, it seems to me that you might have enough courage to stand out in public when it really counts. I bought that "working behind the scenes" hooey during the greater part of the last pontificate, and you know what it got me? Bupkis. Time to be free of the lies we tell ourselves and face the truth. A large percentage of our clergy are homosexual. Now, what to do about that?
Who will guard the guards themselves?
June 27, 2011 at 8:28 pm
It is certainly not a coup out to blame certain bishops – namely, the ordinary of Albany.
Without his cooperation, efforts by Dolan or DiMarzio to combat this became more complicated.
June 27, 2011 at 8:37 pm
I don't have the luxury of time to read all of the comments posted here. But Archbishop Dolan was the one Catholic voice I heard in this debate at all. How many dioceses are there in the state of NY? I didn't see the bishops in the state banding together, but the culprit is not so much the bishops, but also the very, very poor catechism/faith formation of Catholics throughout the whole state.
In the Maryland state debate, there were legislators claiming to be gay, Catholic & fully supportive of gay marriage. Catholic obviously being the one of those things that's not like the others.
The Church's position on gay marriage & the reasons the position is correct & also NOT one that robs any human of his or her dignity is very difficult to understand & there are very few who can articulate it well…I'm not even sure I am one of them. But this wasn't just Archbishop Dolan's battle to fight…there were a lot of other Catholic's who didn't stand up & sadly just as many "Catholics" who sided with the New York State legislature…
June 27, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Its not the bishops job to run our politics. Its our job. We should have stopped this.
June 27, 2011 at 10:22 pm
It's the bishops' job to lead the Church and when the Church does nothing to stop this, perhaps it's time for the bishops examine the level of effectiveness that their leadership is having on the zeal of the Church.
June 27, 2011 at 10:59 pm
@Brandon Jaloway. "Its not the bishops job to run our politics. Its our job. We should have stopped this." You are correct.
Mary De Voe
June 27, 2011 at 11:32 pm
@Anonymous 5:22. "It's the bishops' job to lead the Church and when the Church does nothing to stop this, perhaps it's time for the bishops examine the level of effectiveness that their leadership is having on the zeal of the Church. " You are correct.
Aisha Jefferson
June 28, 2011 at 4:56 am
I second those who support Dolan, especially in light of the complete silence of the other bishops in New York state, especially Howard Hubbard in Albany. Dolan is a politician. While he seems solidly orthodox across the board, in his interpersonal interactions are always friendly, positive, and upbeat. Not my style, really, but I can appreciate a "happy warrior" on the side of truth. That said, he did personally lobby against this for weeks. I couldn't find any statement from Hubbard before the vote, and the best he was willing to offer was his signature on a document after the fact. Dolan is the president of the USCCB, so his schedule was thinner. He's not faultless, but at least he did something.
June 29, 2011 at 3:11 am
Silly Faggot, dix are for chix! We must pray, pray, pray for an end to homosexuality and abortion! Stop abortion and homosexuality now!
June 29, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Matthew I think a troll posted at 10:11, please delete.
June 29, 2011 at 2:51 pm
why did not Archbishop Dolan just say "look, why is it that it makes so much difference as to what Catholics think? And why do you attack good Christian people. It is because you want our approval which proves you know and think we have the Truth and it just doesn't suit your active lifestyle to act with a free and clear conscience.
June 29, 2011 at 5:16 pm
It would have been nice to have a Rosary Crusade to try and defeat this. Prayer really works, but I don't see a unity of Bishops promoting this.
Yes, I believe some of the Bishops are failing to "shepherd" their flocks, but this should have begun years ago, not just in the last few months. Same as abortion, some Bishops are outspoken and others are quiet.
We need more catechization of Catholic lay people. This could at least begin with every Bishop writing letters and having them publicized not only at the pulpit but in the media, but I'm afraid some are worried about their "treatment" from the world, that is being named "bigots" when they should rather be preaching what is right.
This also means people living together sans marriage, contraception, abortion, etc. But priests and Bishops need to have courage to do this.
And why oh why is Cuomo allowed to receive the Eucharist, is not getting a "stern" dressing down at least, from his Bishop, or does it have to come from the Vatican so they will listen?
We need to be compassionate toward homosexuals but not toward the sins of chastity they're committing.
Prayer is really urged here. Please also pray to St. Joseph the guardian of our Church and St. Michael.
Jesus said that "the Truth will set you free", not license to do anything you want.
June 30, 2011 at 8:35 pm
According to lawyer from Alliance Defense Fund, the religious exemptions do not protect individuals (such as a photographer whose religious beliefs forbid him to take pictures of a gay marriage ceremony) nor parents who do not want their children to receive pro-gay indoctrination in public schools (as already happens in Massachusetts.) As a mother of four, I have been forced to make the decision to relocate to a more family-friendly state, a difficult decision since I was born & spent my entire life in New York. The realtor has already appraised our house. NY is going to drive out some of the hard-working, law-abiding traditional families from its borders.