Notes from the Hill

Massachusetts Catholic Conference http://www.macathconf.org

Oct. 28, 2003

Don't Believe the Headlines

Contrary to the headlines, the Roman Catholic Bishops upheld Church teaching on marriage at last week’s State House hearing, and did not announce a change in their opposition to domestic partnership legislation.

Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly, testifying before a legislative committee last week on behalf of all of the Massachusetts Bishops, urged the defeat of bills to create same-sex marriage or same-sex “civil unions” equivalent to marriage.

Bishop Reilly finished his testimony by telling the committee that the Church could “join the discussion” if the “goal is to look at individual benefits and determine who should be eligible beyond spouses.”  Many press reports interpreted this as a signal of new support for same-sex relationships and “domestic partnership benefits”.  That interpretation is wrong.

First, bills dealing with same-sex domestic partnerships were not before the committee and Bishop Reilly made no direct reference to them in his testimony or remarks to the press afterwards.

Second, Bishop Reilly told the committee that the Church objects to any bills that equate unmarried relationships to married spouses.  The civil union bills would give same-sex couples all the rights and benefits of spouses.  Domestic partnership bills are more limited in that they apply only to public employee benefits.  But they too equate same-sex couples to spouses for eligibility purposes.  So, even though Bishop Reilly did not refer to the domestic partnership bills, the objections he raised against civil unions apply to domestic partnerships as well.

Third, by referring to “individual” benefits, Bishop Reilly was mindful of the Church’s long-held distinction between individual rights and group claims.  The Church recognizes that all human beings have dignity and enjoy basic civil rights in their capacity as individuals.  As indicated by Bishop Reilly’s reference to joining the discussion, the Church has participated in and will always participate in any public discussion about the civil rights of individuals.

When individuals get together, however, and ask for benefits by virtue of a particular relationship, the issue moves beyond individual rights.  Not all relationships deserve public endorsement and not all claims by individuals seeking recognition of their relationships rise to the level of a civil right.  The marital relationship between a man and a woman carries special advantages to society, and thus spouses have a special claim to public recognition and support.

Domestic partnership bills would recognize homosexual relationships for the purpose of extending various socioeconomic benefits.   The Church opposes this recognition.  Nothing in Bishop Reilly’s statements contradicted or changed this position.