U.S. bishops stay firm on gay marriage, birth control despite election

Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are seen above a piano as they applaud after Cardinal Timothy Dolan, of New York, president of the conference, spoke at the group's annual fall meeting in Baltimore, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012. / AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

BALTIMORE A subdued U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged Monday that voters rejected the stands they took against gay marriage and birth control, but gave no sign they would change their strategy ahead.

Same-sex marriage supporters made a four-state sweep of ballot measures last week, despite intensive advocacy by Roman Catholic bishops in favor of traditional marriage.

Bishops also spoke out sharply against President Barack Obama's mandate that most employers provide health insurance that covers artificial contraception.

Critics accused the bishops of going so far that they appeared to be backing Republican Mitt Romney.

The bishops insist their complaints were not partisan. Still, they now must face four more years with an administration many bishops characterized as a threat to the church.

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"We've always maintained our openness to dialogue, and that will continue," said Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, who leads the bishops' committee on religious liberty. "As this evolves, as rule-making gets a little more clear, then our range of options will be clearer."

None of the bishops who spoke Monday directly mentioned Obama. Lori only noted that "the political landscape is the same."

The bishops instead reviewed plans they developed well before Election Day to expand outreach to Latino Catholics on traditional marriage and organize events on the importance of religious freedom.

The comments come after the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, published an article Saturday assuring it would never waiver its hard stance against gay marriage. In a separate Vatican Radio editorial, the pope's spokesman asked sarcastically why gay marriage proponents don't now push for legal recognition for polygamous couples as well.

Obama won the overall Catholic vote, 50 percent to 48 percent, but Catholics split on ethnic lines. White Catholics supported Romney, 59 percent to 40 percent. However, Latino Catholics went for Obama, 75 percent to 21 percent.

Last week, Maine, Maryland and Washington became the first states ever to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. In Minnesota, voters rejected a proposal to place a ban on gay-marriage in the state constitution, a step taken in past elections in 30 other states.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the newly installed leader of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said gay marriage opponents were outspent by gay rights groups, and bishops are grappling with how they can be more persuasive.

Surveys by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life have found that the number of Americans who say they have no religion is at a high of 20 percent, while the number of former Catholics is so large that ex-Catholics collectively include more people than many denominations.

"The election is a symptom of a much larger problem," Cordileone said. "Most people don't understand what marriage is."

On health care, the Obama administration's birth control requirement exempts houses of worship, but does not exclude religiously affiliated hospitals and nonprofits. Obama promised to change the requirement so that insurance companies and not faith-affiliated employers would pay for the coverage. But details have not been worked out. And not only the bishops, but Catholic hospitals and some other religious leaders generally supportive of Obama's policies are saying the compromise appears to be unworkable.

Dozens of dioceses and Catholic nonprofits are suing the Obama administration over the mandate, arguing the requirement violates religious freedom.

Steve Schneck, a political scientist at the Catholic University of America who campaigned for Obama, said the bishops need to quickly reach out to the administration because the opportunity to strike a compromise will be limited once the court cases move forward.

"It's something that I think the bishops should be working for if they're serious about trying to win exemptions for hospitals and charities and similar nonprofit institutions," Schneck said. "It's in the interest of the administration to resolve this thing ahead of the lawsuits."

[rightone12]

The pigs who run the Catholic cult really need to learn their place in society. They need to run their cult and stay out of politics and people's lives. They need to be brought up on criminal charges for spreading hate, intolerance, and bigotry. The Catholic Church is one of the most immoral, greedy, hate-mongering institutions in recorded history. From its persecution of Jews and homosexuals, to the Inquisition, to its complicity in the Holocaust (including the fact that the present Pope is a former Nazi), to its complicity in pedophilia and denying the victims appropriate compensation, the Church has shown utter disregard for humanity, decency, morality, and the rule of law. I hope the sex abuse victims sue the Church into bankruptcy. And the Church attacks gays for being immoral? lol. Meanwhile, most of the pedophiles are heterosexual. Well if anyone would know anything about immorality, it's the Catholic Church. The farther away other Churches get from the fanatical Catholic Church, the better off they'll be. And why has Interpol not issued a warrant for the Pope's arrest yet? And if the Church can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on hate campaigns and lawyers to fight victims, they can certainly start paying taxes. Why are the taxpayers underwriting government services for the Church? All countries around the world need to prosecute these degenerate priests and the Church hierarchy that covered the crimes up, expropriate all Church property, and tax the Church. And it is patently unfair that gays and their families should be devastated by discriminatory actions, while the bigots and their families go about enjoying their lives as if nothing is wrong. It's time to start making bigots pay for the discriminatory actions they take. When they have to pay a price, they might start to rethink their actions. I would urge anyone reading this to take WHATEVER ACTIONS POSSIBLE to harm any Catholic property and personnel around the world, to make them pay for the harm they are doing to the people they discriminate against.

[JohnKomar]

Why does anyone care what a bunch of old pedophiles thinks?

[KPeters_from_UK]

A picture of a bunch of white old men telling women want to do.

[liberalmike]

I wonder if the pedophile priests even used condoms when they were molesting little boys?

[skitbit]

They certainly are firm for little boys.

[FromCalifornia]

Okay, this may sound unkind, but as a recovering ex-Catholic I feel that I have the right. Accepting contraception or abortion would lower the number of butts that occupy pews and that put cash in the collection plate. Lowering births in poor countries would reduce the good works that the Church does helping to feed so many hungry mouths. So as long as the birth rate stays high in poor countries the Church has a job, and so long as the birth rate stays up in richer countries the Church gets paid. If only business worked that way.

I heard recently that over 60% of Catholic women support contraception. I believe that number absolutely based on my personal experience with the Church. Is it not just the littlest bit ironic that the ones opposing contraception all share one trait; the inability to bear children. In other words, they have NO vested interest. Oh, and I was never an alter boy. Almost, but not quite. See, God loves me.

[servorum]

First, the word is "altar" not "alter."

Second, if you knew anything about Catholic moral doctrine, which you clearly didn't before you abandoned Christ and his Church, you would know that the Church's ancient teachings about abortion and contraception have absolutely nothing to do with putting more people in the pews on Sunday, or creating more impoverished people in the world for the Church to give aid to.

Please try to grow up and learn some true things about the Catholic Church before you post another meaningless, silly message.

[CBSDebbie]

Catholic Church is a sick country and organization. Cover up (hide sin) of pedophiles is the ultimate. IF US Bishops stay firm on those issues that's their right but it is not their right to infringe upon my beliefs. The USA is not a Cathoic theocracy as Vatican City is, we are are representative democratic republic.

[Mathion]

The Catholic Church has every right to say and do what it pleases with regard to doctrine for its followers. What it has no right to do is dictate to non-followers what THEY can say or do.

Therein lies the problem. People seem to think what the Catholic Church says and does is fine as long as everyone else agrees to be held to their doctrines. That's not how it works in the United States. The Catholic Church is an OUTSIDE organization that establishes doctrine for those who CHOOSE to believe in them. The Constitution is a document that outlines and protects INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. Organizations are not allowed to impose their constitutionally relevant doctrines on unwilling individuals.

In this case, the Catholic Church can not impose its will on non-Catholics.

So I don't particularly care if people want to follow a scientifically discredited religion. That's on them and is their constitutionally protected right to practice their religion as they want provided it doesn't impose on another's constitutionally protected right to be free from (or practice their own) religion. But I take strong exception when those who have a religion want to make the rest of us follow its dogma. That's not how the United States works. That's not the premise upon which it was founded (Most of our founding fathers were deists, not Christians, and many of them had no love for Christians AT ALL).

Keep your religion to - and FOR - yourself. It's the American thing to do.

[clydealan2]

Someone help me out here. In Jesus time abortion was a common practice and even with the church there was a time it was open for debate. Further, Jesus Christ never, ever said a single word about it. Not only is that, in the bible there never any discussion about abortion. What the hell? Somewhere along the line men decided for God this was an unforgiveable sin. I grant you abortion is ugly and after brain activity just flat wrong but as it is practiced in the US we do not kill viable babies. If the people who believe so strongly about sanctity of life would express it caring for those children already struggling to survive around the world we would all be better off and they would actually have a challenge practicing their religion. So why this monstrous fight against something not found in the bible or preached by Jesus and so very little done by the same people working for what Jesus DID preach; caring for the poor? I submit the human race is still in the Spiritual
dark ages.

[retiredgustav]

At the rate they are going the catholic church like the republican party will cease to exist in ten years.

[servorum]

You are utterly wrong. Please read my comments below.