SPRINGFIELD — State and national Catholic leaders expressed gratitude that a bill allowing same-sex marriage was not brought forward for a vote in the Illinois House before the legislative session ended last Friday.

“The bishops of Illinois are profoundly grateful that Illinois House lawmakers listened to their constituents and declined to consider legislation that would redefine marriage in Illinois,” began a statement that the Catholic Conference of Illinois released late in the evening May 31.

“The Catholic Church and many others have fought hard to oppose this legislation and to preserve our shared religious, legal and cultural understanding of marriage as God and nature intended: the permanent and exclusive relationship between a man and a woman committed to one another and their children,” the CCI statement continued. “We are most grateful to all those who have courageously joined us in this effort.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcommittee for the promotion and defense of marriage applauded the “victory in the Land of Lincoln.”

“The fact that the Illinois state House did not vote on the marriage redefinition bill reflects a failure to have the votes to pass the bill,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco. “This victory in the Land of Lincoln demonstrates that marriage redefinition — even in the face of intense political pressure — is not inevitable, a likely reason we haven’t heard much about it in the national media.”

ISSUE WILL CONTINUE
Both Archbishop Cordileone and CCI addressed those who have same-sex attraction.

“The Catholic Church has respect and pastoral concern for our brothers and sisters who have same-sex attraction,” said the CCI statement. “We offer our prayerful support to them and their families.”

Archbishop Cordileone refuted the claim that equality requires redefining marriage in law.

“All persons have inherent dignity and must be treated equally with respect and justice that is their due,” he said. “That is part of the purpose of the law; it is not the purpose of the law, though, to give people social status, as the advocates for marriage redefinition contend.

“For a well-ordered society,” he continued, “laws must reflect reality; for them to contradict reality would be simply irrational. Our children deserve as much and depend upon all of us, especially our leaders, to protect the reality of marriage, not redefine it in the law.”

The bill to redefine marriage had passed the Illinois Senate in April by a vote of 34 to 21. In a tearful speech late Friday, the bill’s sponsor — State Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago — said several House members requested more time to return to their districts and speak with constituents. Harris promised “we will be back and we will be voting on this bill.” Gov. Patrick Quinn has expressed his support for the plan.

“We realize this issue will continue,” said the CCI statement. “Catholics and their church must continue to engage our culture, even through political institutions, and be a consistent advocate for what is right and just while serving the needs of our community to the very best of our ability.”

Archbishop Cordileone pointed out that a diversity of faith leaders joined to defend marriage in Illinois.

“Leaders of various faith traditions spoke eloquently on the reality that nature and nature’s God make clear that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” he said. “Catholics will continue to proclaim with people of others faiths and of no particular faith that marriage is the one-flesh union of one man and one woman. Indeed, both faith and reason lead us to this truth.”