Last week the Rhode Island General Assembly ceremoniously began the new legislative year. Once again, the redefinition of marriage will be pushed by a small, but vocal, minority in the state as they seek legal recognition of same-sex unions as marriages.
With recent victories in November in Maine, Maryland and Washington, the well-financed same-sex marriage lobby allied with the powerful Speaker of the House, Gordon Fox, who has pledged to pass legislation that will redefine marriage. It seems that the most important issue of the day on Smith Hill isn’t poverty and homelessness, gun control and school safety, economic development and unemployment, education and schools but the redefinition of marriage.
Clearly there are many more issues of greater concern in this year’s legislative session than redefining marriage between one man and one woman including budget deficits, funding of programs for the poor and needy, and the implementation of a health care plan that respects the sanctity of life and religious liberty. But it is none of these that will dominate the debate at the Statehouse. Rather, debate is most likely to be dominated by demagogic attacks upon people of faith and common sense who dare to suggest marriage can only be between one man and one woman. The common good of the state is to be ignored in favor of appeasing the relentless same-sex marriage lobby who seek to impose their agenda upon the rest of Rhode Islanders.
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and the Catholic Church stand steadfastly opposed to the redefinition of marriage, the destruction of traditional family life and the further marginalization of people of faith. Many critics in and outside the church along with the opponents of traditional marriage suggest the bishop and the church remain silent and stand off on the sidelines of public policy. We are sure to hear the groundless cries of separation of church and state as people of faith speak out against the redefinition of marriage. However, the church must never remain silent in her duty to preserve marriage and family life, promote the common good and protect the sanctity of all human life and the dignity of every human person. To the critics and cynics alike, we echo the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “If one says the church should not interfere in these matters, then we can only respond: should mankind not interest us?”
