Pope calls for Catholics to defend Marriage

Pope Benedict XVI's probing theological reasoning was in the news again this weekend.

In speaking to several bishops from the US Midwest, Pope Benedict XVI warned of "powerful political and cultural currents" seeking to legalize gay marriage in the United States. He called for "defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarities of the sexes and oriented to procreation". Read the full report here. Despite the tone of some news articles (perhaps attempting to sound "objective"?) the pope's position comes as no surprise at all unless one is completely unfamiliar with Roman Catholic (and all traditional Christian) sexual morality.

One rather expects this issue to become more prominent in the various media as we Americans move into a presidential election cycle later this year, though the "same sex marriage debate" seems rarely to move past oft repeated but seldom explored assertions about "rights" or about "definitions." I believe that, given the current cultural climate, 'traditionalists' on this issue need to do a better job of trying to explain in a detailed and coherent (and winsome) way the "why" of our position for legally maintaining the classic definition of marriage. Then, at the very least, we might actually have the possibility of a true debate, a real dialogue of ideas. But, then again, it is an election year, and TV spots only last 30 seconds and presidential debate answers only last 2 minutes... Maybe television simply isn't well-suited to mediate a substantial and probing debate of ideas. Online social media perhaps?

As an aside, though not so often mentioned in public statements by our own bishops or general agency staff, the Pope's position is perfectly congruent with that of The United Methodist Church since, according to paragraph 161.B in the 2008 Book of Discipline, "We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman."