Washington D.C., Jun 27, 2013 / 16:03 pm
After the Supreme Court narrowly ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, religious leaders are highlighting the need to respect religious liberty in the United States.
Military Archbishop P. Timothy Broglio said in a June 26 op-ed that the Archdiocese of the Military Services "remains resolved in the belief that no Catholic priest will ever be compelled to condone – even silently – same-sex 'marriages.'"
He stressed that "the Constitution guarantees that no endorsed minister will ever be compelled to perform a religious ceremony contrary to the dictates of his/her faith nor will today's decision have any effect on the role and teaching ability of a priest or deacon in the pulpit, the classroom, the barracks or in the office."
Questions over the protection of religious freedom were raised after the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman for federal purposes.