NOM BLOG

Journalists Reflect on Catholic Church's Role in NY SSM Debate

 

From a Catholic Culture summary:

Three different journalists offer interesting perspectives on the role that Catholicism played in the political battle over same-sex marriage in New York:

Columnist Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, rejoicing at the legislative victory for gay rights, focuses on the role played by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who still identifies himself as a Catholic despite flouting Church teaching on a number of issues, both personal and political.

... John Zmirak, writing for Crisis, questions the legislative strategy employed by Church leaders in New York during this political struggle. Rather than calling for a “full-court press” against the proposal, he notes, lobbyists for the bishops—apparently feeling that they lacked the votes to defeat the proposal—settled for concessions that will exempt religious institutions from some of the new law’s effect.

... Rod Dreher is more caustic in his assessment of the New York bishops’ political strategy. Although Archbishop Timothy Dolan made a strong statement before the vote, and the bishops of New York joined in a lament after the legislators had reached their decision, Dreher argues that Church leaders did too little, too late.

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