Bishop Tobin—Church OK with Some Benefits for Gay Couples (deceptive title warning)

  • Thread starter Thread starter markomalley
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

markomalley

Guest
From a local Providence RI digital news source (golocalprov.com), we have the following:
In an exclusive interview, Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin said the Church is not opposed to granting some benefits and rights to gay couples—as long as the term marriage is not used.

((snip))
Code: 
 “The legislation we would support is what is often called ‘reciprocal  benefits,’” Tobin told GoLocalProv. “It does not use marriage as a  reference point. It would grant some legal benefits [and] some legal  rights to two people who have some kind of established relationship  without any particular reference to marriage. So it could be someone and  their grandfather. Could be two cousins. Could be two elderly sisters.”
((snip))

Tobin declined to elaborate on exactly which legal benefits and rights he thought unmarried couples should have—saying that’s a question for legal experts. “People deserve human rights whether or not they’re gay,” Tobin said. “Now the reciprocal benefits [bill] recognizes some rights and some privileges irrespective of their orientation and that’s the key I think.”
H/T to Deacon Greg Kandra

The bishop goes on to rule out any change in position on same sex “marriage” or so-called “civil unions.”

I call it a deceptive title because the bishop is NOT supporting benefits for same-sex couples. He is supporting benefits for two people who have some sort of connection, regardless of what that connection is.

I think, as is the norm for Bishop Tobin, he’s right on the money.
 
I dont think that a Catholic bishop or priests should even contemplate such a thing as even voice for benefits for gay couples. That is beyond me that any even get involved as such. That should not be an issue for Catholics. The CC is against such unions therefore, we should not promote any kind of benefit or whatelse.
 
wisdomseeker said:
I dont think that a Catholic bishop or priests should even contemplate such a thing as even voice for benefits for gay couples. That is beyond me that any even get involved as such. That should not be an issue for Catholics. The CC is against such unions therefore, we should not promote any kind of benefit or whatelse.
Click to expand...
I agree. This is not in the job description of any Bishop.
Further, any legislation gets changed so many times while in committee or on the floor with amendments - no one knows how it will end up.
And then the Bishop will have been instrumental in making it happen.

People living together already have the legal rights to purchase property together, determine who they want to leave their property to in wills, name their own beneficiaries, name who they want to visit them in hospitals, etc. One person’s insurance benefits could end up covering 4 or 5 roommates if they are not a “couple”. And what about any children they adopt or have by a previous marriage?

All Bishops in the USA should read the “CCC 2nd Ed” section called the "Political community and the Church, in particular 2245 & 2246 which limits their participation in politics to - - - Saving Souls, and the fundamental rights of all men only according to the Gospel.

scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top