The Archbishop of Westminster’s Strange Defense of Marriage

The homosexual movement’s most intensely sought goal is to present male and female homosexual acts as normal. In order to do so, its mentors try to create a context of equality between the homosexual act and heterosexual intercourse (the only act that can fulfill the specific goal of replacing humanity through procreation).

“Marriage” vs. Homosexual “Partnerships”

Thus, in the name of a nonexistent equality between homosexuality and heterosexuality, the homosexual movement struggles all over the world to establish so-called homosexual “marriage,” “partnerships,” or “unions.”

The Church, faithful to natural law and Revelation, cannot accept as lawful an act which is both against nature and the finality of the sexual act; and therefore cannot approve either homosexual “marriage” or “partnerships.”

That is why on July 31, 2003 the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published the document, “Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons,” which clearly stated this position and was signed by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI.¹

Liberal Bishops Support “Partnerships”

Nevertheless, from time to time, some cardinal or bishop comes out with a statement favoring homosexual acts or unions, thus contradicting the immutable doctrine of the Church.²

The latest scandal in this line is the statement of Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who defended homosexual “partnerships” in the name of human equality. Asked about it later, the high-ranking prelate explained that in doing so he was actually defending heterosexual marriage!

On November 26, London’s liberal Catholic newspaper, The Tablet published his statement:

“We would want to emphasize that civil partnerships actually provide a structure in which people of the same sex who want a lifelong relationship [and] a lifelong partnership can find their place and protection and legal provision,” the archbishop said. “As a Church we are very committed to the notion of equality so that people are treated the same across all the activities of life.”

However, the archbishop also explained that the same equality that permits a “partnership” does not allow homosexual “marriage”.³ It is not clear why the same logic would not apply.

Asked about his statements by the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Archbishop Nichols replied that he was defending marriage but also avoiding “being accused of being homophobic.” Asked whether he was not going against Vatican guidelines, the prelate answered that the bishops have tried “to recognize the reality of the legal provision in our country of an agreement, a partnership, with many of the same legal safeguards as in marriage.”⁴

Surprisingly, he also affirmed — as if to justify himself — that unlike marriages, homosexual partnerships “have no root in a sexual relationship!”⁵ Such a statement makes it difficult to determine on what planet the Archbishop of Westminster lives!

Will the Church Eventually Accept Homosexual Practice?

This is not the first time Archbishop Nichols has made absurd statements opposed to natural law and Catholic doctrine. In 2010, during a debate on the BBC, answering a homosexual’s accusation that the Church opposes the agenda of the homosexual movement, he said, “That’s not true. In this country, we were very nuanced. We did not oppose gay civil partnerships.”⁶

His answer to the question, “Should the Church one day accept the reality of gay partnerships?” was, “I don’t know.”⁷ Asked if the Church would one day accept the ordination of women and homosexual unions, he likewise said, “I don’t know. Who knows what’s down the road.”⁸

It is highly perplexing to see a Catholic bishop cast doubt on the immutable moral doctrine of the Church. He is the leader of the Church in England and Wales! What can the Catholic faithful expect from such leadership? Will the archbishop receive some kind of punishment?

Let us pray that he will.