Has the Purpose of Marriage Changed?
From Patrick Dacey, Johannesburg – If one has the inclination to read an article in the American National Catholic Reporter (March 2) concerning a report released by the Pennsylvania attorney general on sexual abuse in a certain US diocese, and compare it to the article two weeks previously in The Southern Cross written by members of a Catholic LGBTI group (February 10), one will see the similarities.
Both involve sexuality, the former being an attempt at secrecy while the latter is open and transparent.
The issue of gay marriages has brought sexuality into the spotlight. With the advent of in-vitro fertilisation, procreation of children need not necessarily be accomplished through the physicality of the sex act. This is surely going to impact on St Cyril’s assessment that marriage is designed only “for the procreation of children”, as quoted by Henry Sylvester in the same edition of The Southern Cross.
In reality all organic life forms on earth, including humans, are endowed with a sexual need, the end result thereof usually resulting in the proliferation of the countless life forms that exist.
For thousands of years the institution of marriage has been only between a man and a woman. Society is changing and we are beginning to see more and more same-sex unions where couples are now legally free to marry and have and care for children.
This is obviously a challenge to traditionalists. How is it going to be resolved?
In this Year of Mercy, perhaps we “straight” Catholics need to contemplate this dilemma as our earthly journey continues.
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