.- Archbishop Hugo Barrantes Urena of San Jose in Costa Rica has called on the country’s lawmakers to defend the institution of marriage and not go “against correct reason” by approving same-sex marriage.
Speaking before a congressional committee that is discussing a proposal that would legalize homosexual marriage, Archbishop Barrantes warned that such a move would “obscure the general perception of fundamental moral values and would provoke the devaluing of the institution of marriage.”
“The Catholic Church considers all persons to be created in the image of God and worthy of respect,” he continued, “and she rejects all discrimination against the dignity of the person. Thus, the Church distinguishes between respect for all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, and rejection of homosexual acts, which are objectively contrary to God’s plan for the human being.”
“The Church greatly values the natural institution of marriage, beyond any simple union, as the foundation of the family. This natural institution is recognized by the great cultures of humanity as a truth made evident by correct reason, based on the anthropological complementarity of the sexes,” the archbishop said.
“This natural truth is notably enriched by Christian revelation, which teaches us the dignity of the human person: man and woman, the sexuality of the human being beyond his mere biological sphere, as the human being is a being with a body and a soul, and marriage as a way of life, in which personal communion is lived,” he continued.
Archbishop Barrantes pointed out that while those who argue in favor of homosexual unions “appeal to the principle of respect and non-discrimination,” granting the status of marriage and the rights that belong to it to relations between homosexual persons is “in itself a greater injustice, as it is an attack upon the common good of the social community.”
He reminded the lawmakers, especially those who are Catholic, that “as the Church, we see great value in the family, which must be defended from all attacks aimed at undermining its foundation and jeopardizing its very existence.” Therefore he urged them to pass laws “based on ethical principles and in benefit of the common good.”
