Bishop Murphy: No to 'Same Sex' Unions

According to the norms of all societies, "sexual intimacy between persons of the same sex does not pass muster."

ROCKVILLE CENTER, NY (LifeSiteNews) - It takes more to qualify as being "married" than engaging in sexual intimacy, and unions between two people of the same sex cannot possibly fulfil the necessary requirements, says the Catholic bishop of Rockville Center, New York.

Bishop William Murphy, in conjunction with a statement from all the bishops of the state of New York, has slammed New York Governor David A. Paterson for his decision to force recognition of out-of-state same-sex unions in New York, despite New York law.

"Sexual relationships are essentially private matters until they are made public by public action," Bishop Murphy wrote in the Long Island Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Before they can be afforded protection and recognition by the state, they must be "scrutinized to see if they correspond to what is good and right and true for the common good of society."

According to the norms of all societies, "sexual intimacy between persons of the same sex does not pass muster." Further, the Bishop observed, the Governor is subverting the democratic process by issuing the order without the approval of the Senate or Assembly.

Last month, Paterson ordered all state agencies to recognize homosexual unions performed out of state, despite the retention of the definition of natural marriage in the state constitution. David Nocenti, the governor's legal counsel, said that state agencies will have to construe "spouse," "husband," and "wife" in ways that "would encompass legal same-sex marriages."

In his column, Bishop Murphy said that the governor's lack of reference to the constitution, the consultation with the public or the Senate or Assembly, "render the governor's action unseemly and indefensible in a democratic society."

But even with these issues aside, the bishop said, "The fact is what the truth is: this is wrong and no amount of trying to appeal to 'fair play' or 'equality' or 'putting all relationships on the same footing' can make this right."

He said it is not "discrimination" for a state to recognise "the future good of society that can be guaranteed in the long run only by stable married and family life which is possible only in the natural order of a union between a man and a woman."

Bishop Murphy's columns come at the same time as a statement signed by all the Catholic bishops of New York, who called the move by Paterson, "a radical step that would remove from marriage its most basic, fundamental characteristic, thereby altering its very essence."

The bishops' statement went on: "There is no compelling state interest in granting legal recognition to same-sex relationships. The simple fact that two people have a committed relationship is not a reason for the state to confer upon it the status of marriage. If affection and commitment were the only prerequisites for a marital relationship, then it is conceivable that any two or more individuals could claim the right to a civil union, no matter what their relationship."

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