TORONTO, Mar 6, 2001 (LSN.ca) – In a statement issued last month by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic of Toronto with the support of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Cardinal spelled out the reasons why marriage is reserved for persons of the opposite sex and why the institution should be afforded a special place in society. “Marriage, the committed union between a man and a woman with its inherent capacity for bringing children into the world, is an obvious and essential part of society,” said the cardinal. “Other societal institutions may help in various ways, but none can replace what parents do if they live according to their calling. As Pope John Paul II put it, speaking of their responsibility as the first educators of their children, ‘their role … is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it’ (Pope John Paul II: Familiaris Consortio, Section 36)”
He noted that non-married persons reap the benefits of families, and thus it is justifiable for society to support families. “There are many in society who never marry, and married people whose union does not generate children, but the protection and recognition given to marriage and its capacity for childbearing, and thus to the commitment and work of parents, benefits them as well. Parents bring forth, care for and educate the coming generations of Canadians and of citizens of every country of the world. Upon them, not only society as a whole, but every living older person will one day depend.”
See the full letter at: https://www.occb.on.ca/english/marriage.html