USCCB Subcommittee Chair Responds to Recent Court Decisions

WASHINGTON—Responding to the decision bythe New Mexico Supreme Court to redefine marriage and the decision of the U.S.District Court in Utah declaring Utah's marriage amendment unconstitutional,Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said, "In a visitto the United States of America, Pope John Paul II –who will be canonized byPope Francis– declared, 'Vast sectors of society are confused about what isright and what is wrong, and are at the mercy of those with the power to"create" opinion and impose it on others.' Both the New Mexico Supreme Courtand the Federal Court in Utah imposed a wrong decision about the meaning ofmarriage onto the people of their respective states."

The Archbishopfurther said, "We must start off with the right question. It is not, 'Is therea government interest in not recognizing alternative types of relationships asmarriage?', but rather, 'Is there a public interest in societal recognition andregulation of the only kind of relationship that brings children into theworld?' Every human society in history has recognized that there is. By losingsight of this fundamental reality, confusion and error triumph."

ArchbishopCordileone of San Francisco is the chairman of U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

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Keywords: USCCB,U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Subcommittee for thePromotion and Defense of Marriage,ArchbishopSalvatore Cordileone, NewMexico, Utah, courts, New Mexico Supreme Court, Federal Court, marriage

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