However, the bishop pointed out, “previous governors indicated they would not support legislative action in favor of ‘same sex marriage.’ The Assembly and Senate did not seem eager to move in that direction despite strong pressure from special interest groups.”
In his column, Bishop Murphy explained that, “our new governor has decided to circumvent the legislature, the courts and any testing of the will of the people. He has decided by an administrative decree that unions of persons of the same sex which are recognized as ‘marriage’ in another state would be recognized and honored as such here in New York. This is just plain wrong.”
Though the new governor appeared to have brushed aside democracy, the bishop mentioned another important issue. “Put aside the questionable action of a sitting governor subverting the democratic process of discussion, debate and vote. Put aside the lack of reference to the constitution of the State of New York. Put aside the lack of consultation with the State Senate and Assembly. Put aside the total circumvention of any listening to the will of the people. All these are serious deficiencies that render the governor’s action unseemly and indefensible in a democratic society. The fact is what the truth is: this is wrong and no amount of trying to appeal to ‘fair play’ or ‘equality’ or ‘putting all relationships on the same footing’ can make this right.”
He explained that the state is able to give “certain rights and privileges to married couples” because “the state has a vested interest in the bond that a man and a woman make to each other in public when they marry. That interest is the common good of society which is enhanced and stabilized by marriage as a public institution which is the basis of all other societies. That interest is in the present and future good of society that can be guaranteed in the long run only by stable married and family life which is possible only in the natural order of a union between a man and a woman.”
The prelate continued by explaining that the Church’s teachings do not discriminate, “against homosexual men and women” and that “no one has a right to discriminate against persons because of their sexual orientation. This is not the denial of a “right” that some have and others do not.” Bishop Murphy wrote that he sees sexual relationships as “essentially private matters until they are made public by public action. Then they have to be scrutinized to see if they correspond to what is good and right and true for the common good of society.”
