To the Editor:
In response to the July 4 article “Bishops, theologian react to Supreme Court Decisions,” I would first like to thank Bishop Martin Amos for his statements on marriage as a sacred institution between a man and a woman.
I am surprised, however, at Father Bud Grant’s response. He spoke of the Magisterium of the Church needing to clearly articulate “reasons” for its conclusions on the issue of homosexual marriage. This is something the Church has been doing for many years, in a variety of effective ways.
In early autumn of 1979 Pope John Paul began a series of 129 talks at his Wednesday audiences addressing God’s plan for love, purity, sexuality and the sacred covenant of marriage. He addresses the nuptial meaning of the body, the difference between love and lust, spousal love, the fruitful communion of marital love, and topics that help explain why marriage is between a man and a woman. These talks became the Holy Father’s profound teaching of “Theology of the Body” and have been scrutinized, studied and discussed by the Church and theologians, providing clear explanations for the Church’s teaching on marriage.
The world has come so far from God’s original plan for us, and our culture’s view of sex so distorted, that it is understandable why so many are confused and question the Church on its stand against homosexual marriage. I would encourage those who want to know the “reasons” behind the rules to study some of the great resources available. Here are just a few: “Love and Responsibility” (John Paul II), “Male and Female He Created Them” (Cardinal Medina Estevez), “Covenant of Love” (Father Richard Hogan) and dozens of excellent books and CDs by Christopher West, Jason Evert, Brian Butler, and Father Donald Calloway on Theology of the Body.
Sandi Hansen
Davenport
