(609) 989-1120 · Fax (609) 989-1152
December
6, 2006
An Open Letter from the
Catholic Bishops of New Jersey to the
Members of the New Jersey
Legislature on Marriage as
Only a
Dear Senators
and Members of the General Assembly:
We, the Catholic
Bishops of New Jersey, urge the Members of the New Jersey Legislature to
maintain the definition of marriage as a union between one man and one
woman. This is critical as marriage is
the foundation of the family. The
family, in turn, is the basic unit of society.
Marriage as a
union of one man and one woman has its roots not only in human tradition and
history, but also in natural law, which transcends all man-made law. This definition of marriage is not the
creation of any state. Rather, it is a
natural institution that is prior to any particular political or legal
system.
Marriage is
distinct in essence from every other arrangement because marriage is always
between a man and a woman. The Catholic
Church celebrates the covenant of marriage as sacred. As teachers, the Catholic Bishops of New
Jersey point to both the Old Testament and the New Testament where the
definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman is clear:
That
is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two
of them become one body. (Genesis 2:24)
And in the New
Testament, Jesus teaches that marriage is a union between one man and one
woman:
Have
you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female'
and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh… (Matthew 19:5-6)
We understand
the constraints under which you are working to respond to the Supreme Court’s
decision in Lewis v. Harris. Please know
that we share your desire to bring about a law that will treat people with
justice and respect.
In seeking to
change the current law, the plaintiffs in Lewis v. Harris called on the Court
to provide equity with others in the State in areas such as health and
retirement programs, property rights, tax advantages, recognition under
inheritance laws and other benefits. We
believe that a need for justice in such areas may indeed exist, but that this
need should not be determined solely on the basis of a sexual relationship.
As the shepherds
of more than four million citizens of this state, we see many cases in which
the granting of such equal benefits would ease the burden, and provide
equality, for those whose political fortunes are not as strong as the
plaintiffs in Lewis v. Harris – elderly siblings, single mothers and
grandmothers caring for a dependent child, to name a few. Such individuals are prohibited by law from
marrying, and therefore are barred from any benefits that the Legislature may extend
to the plaintiffs in Lewis v. Harris.
Are they any less deserving of equal treatment and justice under the
law?
At this critical
moment in the history of our State, we urge you to think boldly and inclusively by creating a new legal
structure of relationship for adults.
Such a statute would extend the right to enter into a mutual support
contract to any two adults who wish to do so regardless of gender, orientation
or blood relationship.
If
May God continue
to provide you with strength and wisdom as you work to serve all citizens in
this great State in which we live.
+ John J. Myers +
Joseph A. Galante
Archbishop,
Archdiocese of Newark Bishop,
Diocese of
+ Paul G. Bootkoski +
Arthur J. Serratelli
Bishop,
Diocese of Metuchen Bishop,
Diocese of
+ John M. Smith +
Joseph Younan
Bishop, Diocese of Trenton Bishop,
Byzantine Catholic
Eparchy
of
+ Andrew Pataki
Bishop, Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic
Diocese