Conference
President Criticizes Supreme Court Decision
United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops, June 27, 2003
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194
202-541-3000
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2003/03-134.htm
WASHINGTON—Belleville Bishop Wilton D. Gregory,
president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the
following statement about the moral ramifications of the Supreme Court’s
decision, Lawrence vs. Texas, striking down
that state’s sodomy law:
“In its decision, Lawrence vs. Texas, the Supreme Court has chosen
to view homosexual behavior between consenting adults as a matter of privacy.
“However, human sexuality cannot be viewed this way. Sexual activity has
profound social consequences which are not limited to those immediately
engaged in sexual acts. For this reason, the larger society has always shown a
concern about what is and is not acceptable in sexual behavior between
individuals. The very fact that this case came before the Supreme Court is
evidence of that concern.
“The Catholic Church teaches, in agreement with other faith traditions
and with what were once the norms generally accepted by society, that sexual
activity belongs to the marital relationship between one man and one woman in
fidelity to each other. This relationship is the basis of the family which is
the basic unit of society. Respect for the purpose of human sexuality and the
family needs to be reaffirmed in our society; and anything which reduces
respect for them—such as yesterday’s Supreme Court decision—is to be
deplored.”
In an accompanying statement, Mark Chopko, General Counsel for the United
States Catholic Conference, pointed out the legal limits of the decision:
“This case was decided on the narrowest grounds. Justice Kennedy took
pains to insulate this case from broader conclusions. He points to laws
against prostitution and rape to show that not every sexual act between adults
is outside the reach of legislatures. He is equally careful to note that this
case does not involve the question whether the government must formally
recognize homosexual relationships.”
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