"This is the issue of our time" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11)

• "This is the issue of our time. The church understands marriage as a unique relationship, with a unique definition, which is the faithful love of a man and a woman for each other, permanent, and for the sake of children. As children, if we don't know that our parents love one another, our lives are very unstable. That's why I think every child deserves a family where the father loves the mother, and the mother loves the father. For us to redefine marriage as anything else undermines that notion. I think it's very important that the church keep insisting on this.
  
  "It's also important to say that we're not against gay people. What we're doing here is promoting marriage and the meaning of marriage, not condemning others. The church does believe that human sexuality has a meaning in itself, that it's about love and procreation. Any other sexual relationship is contrary to the Gospel, and so a relationship between two people of the same sex is not in line with the teachings of the church and the teachings of the Gospel, and is therefore wrong. That said, we should always respect people who do things contrary to the Gospel. We live in a society where different ways of life are accepted by the general community, and it's important for us to live in a way that's not hostile to people.
  
  "We have a duty as Catholics, however, to speak clearly about God's plan for human happiness. Part of that plan is traditional, faithful, Catholic/Christian marriage" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).

As you know, "The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania." As per the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference,

• "Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is facing a constitutional challenge in Federal Court in Philadelphia....A Marriage Protection Amendment to the Pennsylvania State Constitution may be the only way to preserve the definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman....In order for a marriage amendment to be added to the state constitution, it must pass the state legislature in two consecutive sessions of the state legislature before it can go to voters in 2014 for passage....The Church’s vision of human sexuality in marriage is a great truth entrusted to us by God as reflected in the way he created us. Jesus Christ also revealed to us what God’s plan is for our sexuality and for marriage. We not only cherish this great truth but we must also speak up in its defense because we hold marriage to be a sacred reality....Contact your state legislators to encourage them to support a Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment"

Coming from Bucks County, Senators Stewart Greenleaf (12th), Chuck McIlhinney (10th), Bob Mensch (24th), and Tommy Tomlinson (6th) are in the Pennsylvania Senate. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Senators Greenleaf (12th) & Mensch (24th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Senators McIlhinney (10th) - a professed Catholic - and Tomlinson (6th) did not. It should be noted that Senator Bob Mensch consistently answered Catholic Standard & Times questions in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, and marriage/family.

During the 2010 legislative session, Senator Mensch co-sponsored a Marriage Protection Amendment (SB 707). Though Senator Greenleaf voted in its favor, SB 707 did not get past the Judiciary Committee. Neither Senator McIlhinney nor Senator Tomlinson were known to go to bat for marriage protection.

Coming from Bucks County, Representatives Paul Clymer (145th), Davis (141st), Farry (142nd), DiGirolamo (18th), Galloway (140th), O'Neill (29th), Petri (178th), Quinn (143rd), Santarsiero (31st), Watson (144th) are in the Pennsylvania Assembly. Prior to the November 2010 elections, Representatives DiGirolamo, Galloway, Clymer, and Petri (178th) responded to a Catholic Standard & Times candidate questionnaire, while Representatives Davis, Farry, O’Neill, Santarsiero, Quinn, and Watson (144th) did not. Representative John Galloway consistently answered in manners consistent with Catholic positions on the sanctity of human life, conscience protection, & marriage/family.

Upper Bucks should be rightly proud that Representative Paul Clymer recently joined Representative Daryl Metcalfe in introducing HB 1434, "A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for marriage." On his web site, Representative Metcalfe offers a downloadable petition, which belongs in every church in the Commonwealth:

• "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, wish to amend our state Constitution to ensure that: 'only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to that of marriage for unmarried individuals.'"

ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT ON CATHOLICS IN PUBLIC OFFICE

• "I think that people who make decisions contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in public ways, in matters of faith and morals, should decide for themselves not to receive communion. They've broken their communion with the church, and to receive communion means you're in communion with the church. If you're not, it's hypocritical to receive communion.
  
  "I think the best way to handle this is the way the bishops of the United States have agreed together to handle it, which is first of all to talk personally with those individuals who make decisions contrary to the teaching of the church. If they fully understand the teaching of the church and continue to act contrary to it, we should ask them not to receive communion.
  
  "If they persistently decide to do so in a way that causes scandal, which means leading other people into the same kind of sin, then I think it's necessary for the bishop to publicly say something" (Archbishop Chaput, 7/19/11).