On Sunday, a letter from the bishops of Massachusetts on gay marriage was read at all Masses in the state. Or at least it was supposed to be read. I have been told that it wasn’t read at the cathedral in Worcester, seat of one of the bishops who wrote the letter.
Reader Colleen tells me that her pastor ended the reading of the letter by telling the congregation, “Remember, Bishop O’Malley is not your conscience.” Gee, I wonder where he stands on the issue. Of course, the bishop is not your conscience, but we have a duty to form our consciences according to the truth, and the truth is being transmitted to us by the successors of the apostles, the bishops.
That said, the letter itself was nothing to write home about. It urges people to contact lawmakers and ask them to ask the state supreme court to give us more time than the 6 months they gave us. That’s exactly a ringing call to action. Even the letter did little to educate Catholics about the Church’s teaching on marriage and how we have a right to say something about how the state supports (or doesn’t) marriage. Better than nothing though.
