Calling all Catholics in Victoria

The 6 Victorian bishops of the Catholic Church will this weekend circulate a Pastoral Letter among parishioners, in which they will be asking them to follow the Catholic position on same-sex marriage. This is a breathtaking attempt to force a large number of voters into pressuring their representatives for a particular political outcome, one that agrees with Catholic dogma. Here is the letter in its entirety :

Pastoral Letter on the
True Meaning of Marriage from the
Catholic Bishops of Victoria
30 March 2012

Dear Brothers & Sisters
We Australians live in a democracy which rightly places great value on human rights and protecting others from
unjust discrimination.
We Catholics also believe deeply that God loves human beings very much. He especially loves those who are
wounded and suffering. God loves each of us so much despite the fact that we are all sinners, make mistakes and
often do not live up to our responsibilities.
The Church takes seriously that we must live the Gospel itself to be a credible witness to others. Deeply aware
of Christ’s mission of compassion and justice – the Church cannot ignore the responsibility to speak the truth in
love. Sometimes reminding people about the truth of the human person is one such task for all of us.
Some now seek to alter the very nature of the human person through legislation. Our Australian society is now
at a critical turning point where truth is at stake.
We speak of current debates about the nature of marriage in our public life. Often it seems as if this matter is
simply about human rights and the removal of discrimination. But in addition to ‘human rights’ there are also
‘human responsibilities’.
We are all blessed by God with the gift of our sexuality. The design itself comes from the Creator of Life. We all
have a responsibility to follow that design.
The Church firmly believes that marriage is founded on the wonderful fact of sexual difference and its potential
for new life. Without this there would be no human beings and no future. Bringing new human life into the world
is founded on the loving union in difference of male and female. Children are best nurtured by a mother and
father.
As one theologian has put it eloquently: “The God of love can be present in every true love. But ‘gay marriage’ is
impossible because it attempts to cut loose marriage from its grounding in our biological life. If we do that, we
deny our humanity.”
This will be a ’hard saying’ for some. It in no way implies that the Church accepts discrimination against other’s
human rights. Nor does it mean we fail to understand the complex nature of human sexual identity and desire.
It implies no lack of respect for people who identify as ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’. As Cardinal Francis George of Chicago
recently pointed out: ‘… we all have friends or family members who are gay and lesbian… these are people we
know and love and are part of our families.’
However as fellow citizens our concern is for the future of our whole society. We ask you to seriously reflect and pray
about the ramifications for current and future generations, of legislation which completely redefines marriage.
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A grave mistake will be made if such legislation is enacted. The Government cannot redefine the natural
institution of marriage, a union between a man and a woman. The Government can regulate marriage, but this
natural institution existed long before there were any governments. It cannot be changed at will.
The argument that same sex marriage supports marriage is wrong. The natural institution will not only be
changed, it will be re-defined absolutely. It will become something different. Such a re-definition will undermine
rather than support marriage.
Catholics, as responsible citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, have a duty to remind their political
representatives that much is at stake for the common good in this debate. We urge you to exercise that right and
make direct representation to your Members of Parliament.
We encourage you to respond to the on-line survey set up by the Federal Government at their website:
www.aph.gov.au/marriage. The closing date for responses is Friday, 20 April 2012. The survey contains three
statements with which you can agree or disagree. It then asks if you support the proposed changes to the two
separate Bills, to which you answer yes or no. If you choose you can simply answer these few questions in less
than one minute. The survey also provides space (maximum of 250 words) for you to explain your views. Some
points that you might like to consider including are set out at www.cam.org.au/lifemarriagefamily/
Our Australian society will flourish only if the true meaning of marriage is preserved for future generations.
With every blessing.
Most Reverend Denis Hart DD Most Reverend Peter Connors DD
Archbishop of Melbourne Bishop of Ballarat
Most Reverend Christopher Prowse DD Most Reverend Leslie Tomlinson DD
Bishop of Sale Bishop of Sandhurst
Most Reverend Peter Elliott DD Most Reverend Vincent Long DD
Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne

It is breathtaking to hear these pious fools talk about truth, and then make fallacious and bizarre arguments like

We are all blessed by God with the gift of our sexuality. The design itself comes from the Creator of Life. We all
have a responsibility to follow that design.

We are also blessed by god with anencephaly, spina bifida, Down’s syndrome and hypospadias. If god creates and designs everything, why does he make humans transsexual or homosexual in the first place, if by Catholic dogma this is such an abomination ? Why are some married and godfearing couples not able to have children, if this is the natural order of things ?
Over 30% of marriages in this country end in divorce, which could give you a bit of a clue about how this form of relationship is everything but some kind of natural arrangement. I also wonder what the thousands of happy and taxpaying non-married couples with children will think of this anachronistic and outdated concept.

This letter is what happens when humans blinded by the mind virus of religion start out to dictate to other humans what is natural, and what they may or may not do with their sex organs. It is time that those who consider themself Catholics here in Victoria have a think about whether they really subscribe to the message of this letter, and if they really believe that recognition of a loving and stable relationship should be denied to fellow citizens based on fallacious moral dogma from the Bronze Age.

And if you are a Catholic, and find this call to lobby and pressure politicians by the Catholic Church as reprehensible as I do, and if you know as well as I do that their argument from some god-given natural order of things is utter nonsense, then please make your opinion heard, write to your Bishop, write to newspapers, and tear up your membership card for this pathetic club of old bigots.

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