Chicago, Ill., Nov 21, 2013 / 15:04 pm
As same-sex "marriage" becomes law in Illinois, the U.S. bishops' head of marriage defense issues has lamented the "disgraceful" misuse of Pope Francis' words to justify the institution's redefinition.
"Pope Francis has forcefully reminded us that we are to show love and respect to all people and to seek their greatest good, and he therefore continues to clearly promote and defend marriage and family, recognizing that this is in everyone's best interest as members of a common society," Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, said Nov. 20.
The archbishop noted that Pope Francis opposed the redefinition of marriage in Argentina as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, where the future Pope said, "The identity of the family, and its survival, are in jeopardy here: father, mother, and children … At stake is the total rejection of God's law engraved in our hearts."
The Pope has also encouraged Catholics to "propose to all people, with respect and courage, the beauty of marriage and the family illuminated by the Gospel."