Bishop Gregory deplores Supreme Court decision on sodomy laws

Catholic News Service ^ | June 30, 2003

[NYer]

Bishop Gregory deplores Supreme Court decision on sodomy laws

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Because it reduces respect for human sexuality and the family, the Supreme Court's June 26 decision overturning state laws that made sodomy between consenting adults illegal "is to be deplored," said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., said in a statement dated June 27 that the Supreme Court in its Lawrence vs. Texas decision chose "to view homosexual behavior between consenting adults as a matter of privacy." "However, human sexuality cannot be viewed this way," he said. "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." In its 6-3 decision overturning laws in Texas and about a dozen other states, the Supreme Court said the due process clause of the Constitution protects homosexual couples' right to engage in sexual practices without intervention by the government.

[NYer]

When Wilton Gregory was a boy, he told his pastor he wanted to be a priest. But there was a problem.

BISHOP WILTON GREGORY: He's the one who said, "It might be best for you to be a Catholic first." My folks had placed my two sisters and myself in Catholic school in 1958. The church was a vibrant, active, exciting reality in the life of an 11-year-old.

A year later, Gregory converted to Catholicism while attending Saint Carthage Grammar School on Chicago's South Side. Following his ordination in 1973, he became an aide to the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.

He was only 35 years old when Bernardin named him the youngest auxiliary bishop in Chicago's history. Now, as president of the U.S. Bishops Conference, he assumes a post Bernardin once held -- and may well become the first African-American cardinal.

[B Knotts]

Well...how about that? It's about time.

[NYer]

The article does not specify, however, whether this is his personal view or an official statement on behalf of the USCCB. Your thoughts?

[ThomasMore]

This is certainly encouraging!

Unfortunately, there are not a few bishops in this country who are "gay agenda" sympathizers.

[Polycarp]

See the USCCB website news release for this story for reference to my comments:

Notice that they predated the USCCB press release as 6/27/03, to make it appear they addressed this issue in a timely manner, in response to the outcry of the faithful about their deafening silence?

But the tech working the web site put the proper date of release at the bottom of the page, which was 6/30/03. Betcha that'll be "fixed" before today is over!

These hypocritical idiots were silent for days, and now they're trying to make it appear that this was released on 6/27/03!

Anyone have access to Lexus/Nexus to see if there were any "official" published comments from ANY bishop of the USCCB prior to the actual posting date of 6/30/03?

[eastsider]

Unfortunately, there are not a few bishops in this country who are "gay agenda" sympathizers.

Bring up "Always Our Children" for a vote by the full Association and make the snakes show their heads. And make sure Fr. Harvey and the Catholic Medical Association are invited to speak at the meeting.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

And now, who would you be thinking of? (Mahoney, etc.?). God Bless

[ThomasMore]

A BIG AMEN! to that, eastsider!

[ThomasMore]

Mahoney is certainly one of them!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

And the SF bishop Levada.

[NYer]

But the tech working the web site put the proper date of release at the bottom of the page, which was 6/30/03. Betcha that'll be "fixed" before today is over!

These hypocritical idiots were silent for days, and now they're trying to make it appear that this was released on 6/27/03!

Good find, Sherlock Poly!

You and I scoured EVERY news source imaginable for several days following the court decision, looking for the USCCB reaction. LOL ... here it is, at last, backdated!