Foundation of the family
We need to protect marriage in our society

Most people would agree that marriage is the foundation of family life. The union of a husband and wife provides the loving basis for the nurturing of children. In turn, strong families help build a strong society.

	Editor's View Mary C. Uhler

Most of us grew up accepting this view of marriage and family life. Even today - with many changes - the majority of Americans believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman with openness to children.

Changes in marriage and family life

Yet the traditional concept of marriage and family life has been changing. As Pope John Paul II noted in Familiaris Consortio (published in 1981), "The family in the modern world, as much as and perhaps more than any other institution, has been beset by the many profound and rapid changes that have affected society and culture."

What have been those changes? Many couples live together outside marriage. Some cohabiting couples have children and one parent may end up raising the children alone after his or her partner leaves the relationship.

We have also witnessed more single parent births, a higher instance of divorce, and same-sex relationships. All of these changes have impacted family life.

Yet studies continue to show that children thrive best when raised in a family with both mother and father present in a committed, marriage relationship.

It seems as if God's plan for marriage and family life does work best!

Attempts to redefine marriage

However, from California to Massachusetts, courts and legislatures have attempted to change the definition of marriage. In California, the state Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to designate their unions as marriages.

This fall, those opposed to this ruling are supporting Proposition 8, which would change the California Constitution to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry" in the state. Proposition 8 provides that only marriage between a man and a woman would be valid.

Catholics in California have started CatholicsForProtectMarriage.com to help recruit volunteers and contributors to support Proposition 8. The California Catholic Conference is asking each diocese in California to organize a campaign effort combining prayer, education, fundraising, and volunteering.

In Wisconsin, Catholics joined with other concerned citizens in 2006 to defeat an attempt to change our state's Constitution to allow for same-sex marriages. Concerned Wisconsin citizens could help the people of California with their prayers and donations.

Importance of strengthening marriage, family

Why should Catholics be involved in such efforts? Pope John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio encourages members of the Church to work against the forces in society which "seek to destroy" or "in some way deform" marriage and the family. The late Holy Father encourages the Church to proclaim "to all people the plan of God for marriage and the family."

Pope John Paul II called on the Church to evangelize and educate all of society about the Church's teachings on marriage and family life. He especially urged the Church to work with young people, "who are beginning their journey towards marriage and family life," for the purpose of "helping them to discover the beauty and grandeur of the vocation to love and the service of life."

I would encourage parents and grandparents to speak with their children and grandchildren about the Church's teachings on marriage and family. At the parish and diocesan levels, married couples can minister to engaged couples through marriage preparation and enrichment programs. More couples are always needed for this important work. See this week's Catholic Marriage section in the Catholic Herald [one article online here; other articles from Catholic Marriage section are only in print edition] for ways to help nurture and support marriage and family life.

Mailbag

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Properly formed conscience cannot disagree with authoritative Church doctrine

To the editor:

Christine Thomas (Mailbag, August 14) seems to be confused about the Church's teaching on conscience. The matter is only worsened by her misunderstanding of the historical, theological, and scientific facts of the Galileo trial. Even if her picture of the Galileo trial were correct, however, it wouldn't prove anything like what she wants it to.

In fact, the Galileo trial, which was a legal matter more than a doctrinal one, really has no bearing on questions of conscience. The Church court that handled the Galileo affair was not making any authoritative statement about morality (since Church courts do not have the power to do that), and certainly made no claims of infallibility.

Questions of morality on which the Church's teachers have spoken authoritatively are very different from the decisions of Church courts. When our Magisterium teaches something authoritatively, it is never okay to defy this teaching, no matter how strongly you believe something different.

Ms. Thomas has misinterpreted what Ratzinger, and the Church itself, teaches about conscience by blurring the definition of a "properly formed conscience." By definition, a properly formed conscience cannot disagree with authoritative Catholic doctrine. If my conscience tells me something different from what the Church teaches authoritatively on a question like contraception or abortion, that means my conscience is not properly formed.

When Ratzinger or other moral theologians tell us that conscience is king, they mean that if we already have consciences aligned with the mind of Christ, who speaks through our Magisterium, then we can be confident when following it on matters where there is no authoritative teaching.

For example, there is no authoritative Church teaching on whether a layman like myself ought to marry or remain celibate. If the pope commanded me to get married, but after serious consideration and prayer my conscience was telling me that I am called to the single life, then I would be morally obligated to follow my conscience and defy the pope.

If, however, my conscience tells me that I must use violence to try to convert someone in spite of the Church's clear and authoritative teaching against forced conversions, then I can know for sure that my conscience is deformed and I should make myself obedient to the teaching authority of the Magisterium.

This does not mean that I should not struggle and question, but it does mean that I ought to be humble enough not to act on a poorly-formed conscience's guidance. This is as true for abortion and contraception as it is for forced conversion.

I can't say that I blame Ms. Thomas, however. The way most Catholics are taught does little to help us understand the truth of the Church's teachings on conscience, or even to expect that our consciences would be properly formed. I'm no exception.

Let us all pray for the humility to let Christ and His Church illuminate our hearts and reshape our consciences so that they may be full of His light and in harmony with the great music measured out by God's law.

Daniel Gibbons, Atascadero, Calif.,
formerly of Madison

Church allows organ donation

To the editor:

Many people erroneously believe the Catholic Church does not allow organ donation or cremation because "the full corpse must be present." In 1956, Pope Pius XII said to consent to an autopsy or organ donation "in the interest of those who are suffering is no violation to the dead . . . This sacrifice is glorified by the aureole of merciful charity towards suffering persons."

Cremation is allowed if the ashes have a respectful burial. This means not putting the urn on the mantle next to the bowling trophy or scattering the ashes over the person's favorite tavern while singing "Muskrat Love."

If the corpse had to be whole for burial, what about the heroic soldier who throws himself or herself on a live grenade and saves the lives of others?

I would have been a widow after nine years of marriage if an organ donor had not taken 10 seconds to check the box on the back of the driver's license. My husband recently died two weeks before our 26th anniversary. Organ donation DOES make a difference. It gives life and it gave us 17 more years of a wonderful marriage.

Many people die while on the waiting list for organs because of a shortage of donors.

Priscilla ("Pete") Kucik, Shorewood