CNA: Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, dismisses Prop 8
1 view
Skip to first unread message
K Lowe
Jun 26, 2013, 8:36:43 PM6/26/13
to K Lowe
pray for the church in Syria.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <ne...@catholicna.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 11:53 PM
Subject: [CNA] Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, dismisses Prop 8
To: cna_...@acinews.net
From: <ne...@catholicna.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 11:53 PM
Subject: [CNA] Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, dismisses Prop 8
To: cna_...@acinews.net
| ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
| Supreme Court strikes down DOMA, dismisses Prop 8 Washington D.C., June 26 (CNA/EWTN News) .- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, and the federal government must recognize “gay marriages” accepted by individual states. FULL STORY »
Vatican
US
Europe
Vatican VATICAN CITY, June 25 (CNA/EWTN News) .- Just as God called Abraham by name to receive a promise, so does he continue to call each Christian personally to enter into relationship with him, Pope Francis said at his daily Mass June 25.
“We Christians have been called one-by-one: none of us is Christian by pure chance. No one,” he said during his homily at the chapel of Saint Martha House in the Vatican. The call of each Christian is “by name, and with a promise: Go ahead, I am with you. I walk beside you.” “God accompanies us, God calls us by name,” the Bishop of Rome assured his listeners. The Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general emeritus of the Diocese of Rome. It was attended by staff of Cor Unum, the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the Vatican Observatory. Pope Francis explained that being a Christian is “a call of love and friendship” as well as a call “to become a child of God” and a “brother of Jesus.” “To become fruitful in the transmission of this call to others, to become instruments of this call,” he added. The Roman Pontiff reflected on the creation account, in which “God creates the stars, creates the plants, creates the animals, creates these, thats and the others” – all in the plural. “But he creates man in the singular: one. God always speaks in the singular to us.” Despite problems and difficult times, he said that Christians can always have the confidence that “the Lord has called me” and “has promised me.” “The Lord is faithful, for he can never deny himself: he is faithfulness,” Pope Francis said. He stressed the importance of, despite being sinners, “going forward with the Lord” and “recounting to others that the Lord is with us. That the Lord has chosen us and he does not leave us alone, not ever.” “That certainty of the Christian will do us good.” Pope Francis compared the anointing of baptism with Abraham's anointing as “the father of peoples.” The first reading at the Mass told of the discussion between Abraham and his cousin Lot over the division of lands. “When I read this, I think of the Middle East, and so I ask the Lord intensely that he give wisdom to all of us … to say let's not fight … the wisdom for peace,” the Pope said. He concluded saying Abraham's response to God is a model for how each of us should walk the path of our lives. “May the Lord give us, all of us, this desire to move forward, which Abraham had, in the midst of all his problems: to go forward with the confidence that he who called me, who promised me so many beautiful things, is with me.”
US WASHINGTON D.C., June 26 (CNA/EWTN News) .- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, and the federal government must recognize “gay marriages” accepted by individual states.
The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act – known as DOMA – “violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the Federal Government,” said Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority. In a June 26 ruling, the Court said that section 3 of DOMA, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for federal purposes, violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection guarantees. “The avowed purpose and practical effect of the law here in question are to impose a disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority of the States,” the court declared. In a lengthy dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia rejected the majority’s assumption that the law had as its purpose to “disparage,” “injure,” “degrade,” “demean” and “humiliate” gay individuals. Rather, he explained, DOMA “did no more than codify an aspect of marriage that had been unquestioned in our society for most of its existence – indeed, had been unquestioned in virtually all societies for virtually all of human history.” “It is one thing for a society to elect change,” he said, “it is another for a court of law to impose change” by pronouncing those who oppose “enemies of the human race.” Those who oppose “gay marriage” have voiced concern about their ability to abide by their beliefs if marriage is redefined. Already in states that recognize “gay marriage,” Catholic adoption agencies have been forced to close for their insistence on placing children only with a married mother and father. Other non-profit agencies and private business owners have also faced pressure and mounting lawsuits to recognize same-sex unions as marriages against their religious convictions. The majority opinion acknowledged that its ruling could have sweeping implications, as DOMA affects “over 1,000 federal statutes and the whole realm of federal regulations.” On the same day, the nation’s high court also dismissed an appeal on California’s Proposition 8 on grounds of standing. After a California court had ruled that “gay marriage” must be recognized in the state, marriage defenders launched a campaign to amend the state constitution to recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The amendment, Proposition 8, was approved by voters but quickly challenged in court. A lower court had ruled that the proposition was unconstitutional, and the case was appealed. The Supreme Court’s dismissal on technical legal grounds rather than the merits of the case means that the lower court’s ruling stands, and “gay marriage” can be recognized in California. Under the June 26 rulings, states may still choose to define marriage as they see fit. In states that choose to legalize “gay marriage,” the federal government must now recognize these unions. Currently, only 12 states and the District of Columbia recognize “gay marriage,” although marriage defenders have warned that political pressure is mounting in an attempt to force a redefinition of the institution. WASHINGTON D.C., June 26 (CNA) .- The U.S. bishops’ international justice head told the U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel that detainees held on terrorism charges at Guantanamo Bay deserve a just trial and should not be held indefinitely.
“Detainees have the right to a just and fair trial held in a timely manner,” wrote Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, to Secretary Hagel. “The indefinite detention of detainees is not only injurious to those individuals, it also wounds the moral reputation of our nation, compromises our commitment to the rule of law, and undermines our struggle against terrorism.” Bishop Pates, who chairs the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, penned a June 25 letter to the Defense Secretary asking for a review of the detention camp conditions and the release of prisoners who have been cleared. The bishop noted that “86 of the 166 detainees were cleared for release three years ago and approved for transfer, but nonetheless remain confined in Guantanamo.” Many of these prisoners are “now placed in solitary confinement, they are filled with despair.” He added that some prisoners have spent up to 11 years in prison without a trial. Bishop Pates referenced Catholic social teaching, noting that while a country has a right to defend itself from terrorism, “this right cannot be exercised in the absence of moral and legal norms, because the struggle against terrorists must be carried out with respect for human rights and for the principles of a State ruled by law.” “This moral teaching appears applicable to the situation in Guantanamo,” he asserted. Bishop Pates also commented on a hunger strike in which roughly 100 prisoners are currently participating. “Detainees retain basic human rights,” he said, cautioning against simply forced feeding the prisoners and instead asking that the United States “first do everything it can to address the conditions of despair that have led to this protest.” In light of the troubling reports, the bishop asked Hagel to “conduct a careful review of conditions for detainees” and to “make good on the President's commitment to close this facility that has become a symbol of indefinite detention without trial.” WASHINGTON D.C., June 25 (CNA/EWTN News) .- Noting significant threats to religious liberty in modern U.S. society, speakers at a recent national conference stressed that all faiths are threatened by restrictions on the freedom of believers.
“Religious freedom is a human right,” said Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, pastor of the Azusa Christian Community, at a recent conference in Washington, D.C. He stated that “the black churches want to work with those who are serious about fighting” against all infringements upon religious freedom. “We want to work with all of the religious communities around us, because we understand that there are lines that have to be drawn” in order to support religious freedom for all, he said. Rivers was one of several panelists of various faith backgrounds who spoke last month at the National Religious Freedom Conference, sponsored by the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s American Religious Freedom Program. He warned that African-American churches have been threatened with losing tax exempt status for preaching against same-sex marriage. “We as people of faith must understand that either party will now throw you under the bus,” he said, encouraging leaders who value religious liberty to band together to halt impositions upon religious freedom. Other speakers pointed to religious liberty threats facing their own respective religious communities. “Orthodox Christians are like the canaries you bring into the mine,” said the Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, chancellor of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminar. He explained that Eastern Orthodox have historically faced manipulation and persecution at the “hands of Caesar” throughout the world and even within recent United States history. Amardeep Singh, director of programs for the Sikh Coalition, criticized a recent federal regulation addressing bullying because it does not name religious belief as a protected class under the new law. He noted that the Sikh community is particularly sensitive to this omission because of the violence and persecution faced by Sikhs in the United States. Shaykha Reima Yosif, founder of the Al-Rawiya Foundation, a group aiming to empower Muslim Women through the arts, noted that many threats to religious liberty come not from government but from society itself. “Because of the fact that I am easily identifiable, I am an easy target for harassment,” she noted, adding that apathy towards religious freedom “makes our work as faith leaders all the more important.” Rabbi Abba Cohen, D.C. director of Agudath Israel of America, cautioned that “no faith group can abide the weakening of religious freedom.” He pointed specifically to the threat posed by the controversial HHS mandate, which requires employers to offer health insurance covering contraption, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs. The greatest threat to religious freedom, he explained, center on the ongoing debate about “religion’s place in society.” “We see now that religion is often treated with derision and ridicule, treated mockingly and sparingly,” he said. Legislation to protect religious freedom is particularly important, he said, because “the law is a teacher” and hostile regulations create hostility, which then lead to more restrictive laws against religious freedom. Elder Lance Wickman, emeritus general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stressed that “there need not be a conflict between differing conceptions of human dignity, but unfortunately, that is a conflict that is rearing its head.” While historically, religious belief has been valued within society, he said, religious freedom has been portrayed in secular world lately “as something akin to a hobby” that is “less intrinsic to who we are” than other identities. Instead, religious faith is portrayed “as a mere lifestyle choice,” and “a new closet is being constructed for traditional religious beliefs” within the public square, particularly on contentious public topics such as sexuality. He warned that “every loss for religious freedom risks emboldening the state” and increasing its restrictions upon religion. “The right to the freedom of religion requires more than the absence of totalitarian restrictions on the freedom of expression,” Elder Wickman said, emphasizing that people must be able to live their faith freely in society.
Europe ROME, ITALY, June 26 (CNA/EWTN News) .- As civil war rages in Syria, priests are choosing to stay with their people and continue pastoring them, even as a monk was killed during a raid on a monastery in the north of the country on June 23.
Father Francois Mourad died at the Franciscan monastery of Saint Anthony of Padua in a village near Jisr Ash-Shughur. The town had been under attack by Islamist rebels for a few weeks, and local Christians sought refuge in the monastery. CNA spoke with another priest, who is from Aleppo, on June 18, who said, “I try to live this war with the people, not abandon them.” The Syrian conflict has dragged on for 27 months, since demonstrations sprang up nationwide on March 15, 2011 protesting the rule of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president and leader the country's Ba'ath Party. In April of that year, the Syrian army began to deploy to put down the uprisings, firing on protesters. Since then, the violence has morphed into a civil war which has claimed the lives of more than 93,000 people. The priest spoke with us on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. He was in Italy briefly before preparing to return to his country, saying he would return “because it is his duty.” He will not be able to fly into Aleppo, as its airport has been closed for several months. He expects to fly to Latakia and from there take a helicopter from the Syrian regime to Aleppo, as traveling by car is too dangerous for Christians there. In April, two Orthodox bishops were kidnapped from their car as they returned to Aleppo from the Turkish border. The kidnappers killed their driver, Deacon Fatha' Allah Kabboud. The priest indicated that since the war began, he has evangelized differently. “First I tried to take Christ to people through music and I was very involved with it in Church.” “But now I need to be poor with the people and suffer with them.” “Many Muslims have asked me why I do this, because they are surprised,” the priest said. “But this interreligious dialogue between Muslims and Christians is now stronger.” He noted that about eight months ago, a group of young priests, jointly with local Muslims, opened two schools for 425 internally displaced Muslim children. “We give them food to eat every day, we play with the children and just live alongside both Christians and Muslims.” At least 4.25 million Syrians have been internally displaced, and 1.5 million have become refugees in nearby countries, most of them in Jordan and Lebanon. Fighting in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, began last July, and now “more than half” of the city is destroyed, the priest said, “including many 500 year-old buildings.” The priest explained that most factories “have been destroyed” and that before the war, Aleppo was home to 40 percent of the Syrian economy because of its cotton and wheat production. “But now most children can’t even go to school – only a few who live in calm areas, and they go to private schools.” “They are growing up with weapons and with the mentality that as long as they have one in their hand, they have power and can do anything.” He stressed that before the war “we had a beautiful life” and that now “we live a big evil because we see our youth going to the army and dying, and churches in danger.” He affirmed that while the Assad regime “made mistakes,” Syrians had “a marvelous peace between Muslims and Christians” prior to the war. “The president made many modern developments during the last ten years and we didn’t need anyone for food and water because we were self sufficient,” the priest said. He stressed that he does not have a vision for the future because “we are living in chaos and confusion” and does not know “how it will all finish.” “I am not stable, but I try to live my life with my family and with all those whom I love and whom I believe in.” Fr. Mourad's death occurred roughly 70 miles from Aleppo, in a contested region. Jisr Ash-Shughur is located in Idlib province quite near the Turkish border, between Aleppo and Latakia. St. Anthony of Padua Monastery gave shelter to Fr. Mourad when the village was attacked, as well as to some Franciscan friars, four religious sisters, and ten lay Christians. When Fr. Maroud tried to defend the sisters and others from the rebels, he was shot. The village is now completely deserted. Fr. Pierbattista Pizzabella, the Franciscan custos of the Holy Land, told Vatican Radio that “Syria has now become a battleground not only between Syrian forces, but also between Arab countries and the international community. And those paying the price are the poor, the young and the Christians.” “The international community must put a stop to all this.” Speaking of Fr. Mourad's murder, Cardinal Leandro Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, appealed that “this latest episode of unjustified violence, arouse the conscience of the leaders of the conflicting parties and the international community, so that, as repeatedly stated by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, the guns of war be silenced and a season of justice and reconciliation begun for a future of peace.” The international community has been contributing to the violence, with Russia, Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah supporting the Syrian regime. Western nations have favored the rebels, who are composed of a number of groups, including both secularists and Islamists such as al-Nusra Front. The U.S., France, and U.K. have all been giving the rebels non-lethal support since 2012. On June 14, President Obama said he was prepared to give direct military aid to the opposition, having determined that the regime used chemical weapons on its own people. The British prime minister has made similar statements. As Western governments consider increasing the flow of arms into Syria, the flood of refugees fleeing the country increases daily. At current rates, the U.N. estimates that by the end of 2013, an additional 2 million will have left the country. ROME, ITALY, June 26 (CNA/EWTN News) .- The two year-old daughter of a Catholic News Agency bureau chief shared a brief but intimate greeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, leaving the girl and her father all smiles. “She was right at home with the Holy Father,” Alan Holdren, the head of CNA's Rome bureau, said June 24. Isabel accompanied Holdren who was covering a special trip for disadvantaged children organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture and Trenitalia, an Italian train service. The children were brought in on a high-speed train “for the extraordinary experience of leaving their home cities” to meet Pope Francis. Holdren said he brought Isabel along with him on assignment knowing there would be other children there, but he never expected to behold “such an intimate encounter” with the Pope. The pontiff came straight from the Sunday Angelus June 23 in St. Peter’s Square where thousands of pilgrims were gathered to pray with him from afar. At the train station, Holdren contrasted, “he met with just 250 children” and “another couple hundred” family members and volunteers. “There was a real warmth and authenticity to it all and you could tell it was just what the little boys and girls needed.” As the Pope emerged from the four-door sedan that brought him to the station, the small crowd gathered to form a “human corridor” for him to walk through as he met the children. “He must have greeted every single one of the kids with a handshake, hug or kiss,” Holdren said. “You could tell he was in his element and being there with him and all those kids was really exciting.” Soon, Holdren saw an opening in the line and took the opportunity to catch a closer glimpse of the Pope. Isabel, her dad said, knows who the Holy Father is from praying for him as a family and being in St. Peter’s Square on the night of his election. “Every time she passes St. Peter's she says 'Pope,' and points to the balcony where he first appeared,” Holdren said, adding that after his election Isabel “must have said 'Yay, Pope!' and clapped for weeks after.” So when Pope Francis stopped right in front of Holdren and Isabel, “It was almost like seeing Grandpa.” He reached out and touched Isabel's shoulder saying, “E' bella, eh!” or, “Ah, beautiful!” which is when Holdren said the girl broke into a smile. “I actually didn't see the ear-to-ear smile until I saw the pictures later,” Holdren explained. “She's a pretty friendly little girl and she's used to seeing the Pope from a distance.” Clutching her pacifier, Isabel responded with a beaming smile captured by Stefano Dal Pozzolo, a photographer for the daily Italian paper, Avvenire. A Nebraska native, Holdren said that living in Rome for the past several years has been “a bit different” than his hometown of Friend, Neb. – a town of just 1,100 people. However, the cultural and language barriers are trumped by the “real feeling of belonging to a single Catholic faith that comes with being here.” “Everyone is connected through the Church and Christ and his representative here in the person of Pope Francis. And, it really does feel like you're in family.” Over the past several months, from the resignation of Benedict XVI to the election of Pope Francis, Holdren said that sense of kinship has been felt in “a more intense way” despite the “whirlwind” of changes. Seeing his daughter experience such an encounter the Holy Father helped him realize that she too is at home. Isabel “was right at home with the Holy Father,” he said. In January, John Paul Uebbing, the nearly year-old son of CNA Rome Bureau head, David Uebbing, was one of the last children to be kissed by Pope Benedict XVI following his final audience as he toured St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile on Feb. 27. His mother, Jennifer, said she saw the occurrence as a chance to say “thank you” to the then-Holy Father for his life of service to the Church. |
| |||||||||
This is the news service of Catholic News Agency
Manage your subscription here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/subscribe.php
Visit our website: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com
FOLLOW US: Facebook.com/CatholicNewsAgency I Twitter.com/cnalive I Youtube.com/catholicnewsagency
Copyright © Catholic News Agency. All rights reserved
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages