The recent SCOTUS ruling, though far from unanimous, has significant impact on Christian conscience as it pertains to same-sex marriage.

For Catholics it’s especially difficult. St. Pope John II and Pope Benedict both condemned same-sex marriage saying that Catholics are “obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions” and where such unions are given the legal status and rights that belong to marriage, “clear and emphatic opposition is a duty.” (Considerations Regarding Proposals to give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, March 2003).

In 2010, Pope Francis (then Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina) said that a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in Argentina was “destructive of the plan of God…a ‘move’ of the Father of Lies (John 8:44) who wishes to confuse and deceive the children of God.”

Then there was Francis’s famous “who am I to judge?” remark that gave hope to the LBGT community but was quickly dashed by later remarks in the Philippines. Pope Francis emphasized that support for same-sex marriage is “ideological colonization…that is trying to destroy the family.” In a speech in Ireland after that country voted in favor of gay marriage the Pope said, “The alliance of love between a man and woman, an alliance for life, cannot be improvised, and is not made in a day.”

Catholics have always been taught that homosexual persons “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity” and that “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).

We at the Stewardship Foundation agree with the Church’s teaching on compassion, and with Pope Francis when he said Christians should not “lobby” for LBGT orientation. We remain steadfast in our support of marriage between one man and one woman and agree with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) who state that the U.S. Supreme Court decision on July 26 interpreting the Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage” is a “tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us.”