Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond has come out with a statement affirming that the Catholic teaching on the subject of marriage remains constant following remarks by Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine suggesting the Roman Catholic Church may eventually experience a change of opinion and offer support in favor of gay marriage.
Last week the Bishop reportedly stated, "More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on marriage, and despite recent statements from the campaign trail, the Catholic Church's 2000-year-old teaching to the truth about what constitutes marriage remains unchanged and resolute."
He went on to add, "As Catholics, we believe all humans warrant dignity and deserve love and respect, and unjust discrimination is always wrong." He also stated that "Our understanding of marriage, however, is a matter of justice and fidelity to our Creator's original design."
The Bishop, who was a former U.S. Senator, is presently a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in the Diocese of Richmond. Although his statement seems like a response to Kaine's claims, the Bishop did not mention the vice-presidential nominee's name anywhere in his comments.
"Marriage is the only institution uniting one man and one woman with each other and with any child who comes from their union," continued the Bishop.
Going by the Bishop's take on the subject, his statements appear to suggest that the institution of same-sex marriage goes on to deprive children of the right to be nurtured and loved by a mother and a father. Meanwhile, as Christian Today had reported earlier, Kaine had appeared pretty confident in his opinion that the Church will change its stance. He had borrowed from Pope Francis, quoting the famous line, "Who am I to judge?"
He had then gone on to state, "I want to add: Who am I to challenge God for the beautiful diversity of the human family? I think we're supposed to celebrate it, not challenge it." However, the Bishop's recent statement implies that the Church remains firm in its opinion on the subject of same-sex marriage.