Washington D.C., Oct 1, 2011 / 05:16 am
The head of the U.S. Military Archdiocese says that a new set of rules, allowing chaplains to perform same-sex “marriages” on military property, seems to disregard federal law.
“The Pentagon’s new policy, as outlined in these two memos, appears to ignore the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law 15 years ago and remains in effect,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio in a Sept. 30 statement provided to CNA.
The archbishop's comments came in response to a pair of memos issued on Sept. 30, just 10 days after the official end of the military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy against open homosexuality.
In one of the memos, Defense Department Undersecretary Clifford Stanley states that “a military chaplain may participate in or officiate any private ceremony, whether on or off a military installation, provided that the ceremony is not prohibited by applicable state and local law.”