HALIFAX, September 24, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Most Rev. Terrence Prendergast, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Halifax and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Yarmouth commented on the Nova Scotia Supreme Court redefinition of marriage today. “We must recognize this decision as the end of state support for marriage as we have always known it,” said Archbishop Prendergast. The Archbishop explained the ramifications of the ruling saying, “The civil institution of marriage is now a registered domestic partnership system for adults in a co-dependent relationship. The reality we are now facing here is that there are two definitions of marriage which are inherently contradictory.”
The Archbishop warned the decision will have serious effects on society. “Most of our faith traditions have been dedicated to the common human understanding of marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Families and religious institutions can no longer presume the existence of a public culture supportive of marriage as a pillar of their life.” More pointedly, he said, “In fact, they can assume that public authorities will be actively promoting an ideology of human relationships that bears little or no resemblance to the common core vision of marriage which sustains most couples and most faith communities, and which has, until now, been a foundation for our culture.” However, Archbishop Prendergast also stressed the need for a proactive reaction to the damaging ruling. “Today we recognize that the full burden for the social and cultural support of marriage in Canadian society must be accepted by religious communities,” he said. He pledged the Church’s support for traditional marriage. “We must consciously dedicate ourselves to the task of sustaining and supporting marriage, promoting an authentic vision of the lifelong union of one man and one woman as an essential human reality.”
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