Mess with the bull, you get the horns...

This is an editorial that our local paper actually published after it printed a cartoon disrespecting our Archbishop.
I can't believe they published this....I respect them for that, but the CJ is still very bias in all it's coverage and I'm sure by next week, they will have another story or editorial slamming the Catholic Church as is the norm.


On Dec. 19 The Courier-Journal criticized my effort to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman. I am, in fact, honored to work with the body of bishops on the promotion and protection of marriage.
Unfortunately, the editors of The Courier-Journal characterized the support for marriage as bigotry. As archbishop, as a former social worker and as a citizen, I write to express my objection to referring to the church's efforts, as well as those of countless citizens throughout the United States, in such derogatory terms. In fact, the majority of voters in more than 30 states have supported marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
As a good citizen, I do not seek to impose assent to religious truths, such as those regarding Baptism or the Holy Eucharist. Marriage, however, as the union of one man and one woman is not only a religious conviction … it is a time-honored, classical norm recognized in almost every civilization. The church supports marriage for the same reason it supports laws against stealing. We oppose stealing not only because of the seventh commandment, but because of the natural moral law regarding the good of private ownership. The seventh commandment confirms with special clarity and authority what anyone of good will may discover by the application of reason.
The church takes positions on health care, protection of the unborn child and immigration. We do so not because these are purely religious realities, but because they are major moral issues, vital to the common good and newly presented to our culture today. The same is true for marriage.
The bishops of the United States uphold the dignity of individuals with same-sex attraction and recognize the suffering that unjust discrimination causes. The bishops affirm that every person, including those who experience same-sex attraction, deserve to live a fulfilling life inclusive of wholesome and chaste relationships. The rights associated with such relationships can be protected by other means under the law.
To refer to such genuine efforts as bigotry advances the misunderstanding and ill-will it purports to fight against.
The Most Rev. JOSEPH E. KURTZ
Archbishop of Louisville
Louisville 40203