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A message from the Archbishop of Winnipeg to the Catholic community on the subject of marriage.December 29, 2002 The government of Canada has published a discussion paper on Marriage and Legal Recognition of Same-sex Unions. This paper provides a spectrum of viewpoints, a legal framework, the role of parliament, and implications for the religious understanding of marriage. It proposes three possible approaches to the resolution of this issue. All Canadians are invited to join the debate and to make their voices heard in Ottawa. On November 22nd, the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Most Rev. Jacques Berthelet CSV issued an invitation to Canadian Catholics: "We urge the Catholic community, especially lay people who have the experience of married life, to take up (the) challenge to express respectfully the gift that marriage has been in their lives and for their communities. Participation in the democratic process is a way of integrating faith and culture and is at the heart of the lay vocation." Parish groups and Catholic organizations are invited to spend some time studying the government document and the Canadian Bishops' pastoral letter on this subject. Marriage preparation teams, marriage enrichment groups, couples or a diverse group of individuals could create small study groups within the parish. Catholic Organizations such as the Catholic Women's League, the Knight's of Columbus, Marriage Encounter, Couples for Christ and others could work at the regional and national levels to affect these very important proposed changes to the laws governing marriage in this country. A suggested format for such a study group follows. Groups of 6-8 persons would acquire copies of the documents which are available on the internet, study them prior to meeting, gather for a discussion evening and together, prepare a response. Individuals or groups who wish to take part in the public debate can express their beliefs and opinions in several ways: write to the Minister of Justice; contact your Member of Parliament; or make a representation to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. A set of discussion starters has been prepared and follows this letter. Should you wish to participate in this dialogue, the government's discussion paper is available by clicking on http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub/mar/ and the pastoral letter from the Canadian Catholic Bishops on Marriage is available at http://www.cccb.ca/english/default_e.htm. 1. The pastoral letter from the CCCB states that marriage is a personal commitment between a man and woman, a social commitment by the couple to society, and the social nucleus into which most children are born and raised. From your own family experiences, how have you found this to be true? 2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines matrimony between a man and a woman as a life time partnership, ordered for the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of off-spring. Matrimony between baptized persons is a covenant, raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. (1601). How do the various proposed approaches to the resolution of this issue correspond to Church teachings? 3. The discussion paper suggests three possible approaches to the resolution of this issue. Which do you find the most acceptable? Given the legal framework for developing legislation, the teachings of the Church and your own views on the subject, what conditions might you add to the approach you selected? 4. What action will you take to contribute your voice (your group's voice) to the discussion? Back to Letters & Articles Main Page
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