Bishop David Malloy last Friday joined bishops across the country in responding to the June 26 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which interpreted the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage.” Bishop Malloy wrote:

“Recently, Pope Francis’ Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, called the legalization of marriage between couples of the same gender, “a defeat for humanity.”

“Those strong words underscore the time honored significance of marriage as recognized in reason and faith between a man and a woman, open to the life that is the future of humanity.

“The truth about ourselves and our world comes not from the votes of elected or unelected representatives but from God’s hand.

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is deeply regrettable. But it is also an opportunity for the Catholic Church to further its resolve to teach and live the plan for marriage found in nature and in faith.

“The issue of the definition of marriage can also be expected to have great significance for the future of religious liberty in our country. As even the Court’s majority opinion issued today acknowledged, ‘Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned. The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered.’

“Both faith and reason recognize the dignity of every human person. They equally recognize the natural order that governs our relations with each other. The freedom to continue to live and proclaim that truth, especially with regard to the nature of marriage, remains essential to us as Americans and as Catholics.”