New York Bishops Strongly Defend Marriage

NEW YORK, NY, March 11, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, spokesman for the archdiocese of New York has testified that once marriage is taken legally to include homosexual partners, it can be twisted to become anything according to individual desires. Allowing “gay marriage” could lead to group “marriage” or, if taken to the absurd, to marriage between pets. “It could be anything once you say marriage is something other than what it is,” DiMarzio said, citing the Catholic Church’s teaching that marriage is an objective reality and not something open to legal or legislative tinkering.  Edward Cardinal Egan said, in a homily, “you want to champion the rights of the family,” calling marriage the “most basic, essential and sacred component of society.”  Cardinal Egan and other New York bishops met with legislators Tuesday to make the case for the defense of traditional marriage in an annual meeting. Egan also met privately with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on marriage and other issues Tuesday. The Cardinal said after the meeting, “My position would be that marriage would be an agreement to be faithful and to stay together in a union between a man and woman with openness to children and with a seeking of mutual support.” He added, “I believe that this is perhaps the position of every civilization as long as we know.”  Newsday.com coverage:  https://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny—gaymarriage-newyo0309mar09,0,4928111.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire