Richmond’s Catholic Bishop DiLorenzo Reaffirms Church Teachings on Marriage after Sen. Tim Kaine Says Church Will One Day Accept Homosexual ‘Marriage’

Democratic vice-presidential candidate and former Virginia governor Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) addressed the Human Rights Campaign national dinner September 10, 2016. Kaine, who calls himself a “devout” Catholic, said he believes the Catholic Church will one day embrace homosexual “marriage”–a claim rejected by his own bishop three days after Kaine’s HRC speech (see statement below).

The following statement was released by the Roman Catholic Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia–after self-described “devout” Catholic. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, said that he believes the Catholic Church will one day recognize homosexual “marriage.” Sen. Kaine made the comment in a campaign speech September 10, 2016 at the Human Rights Campaign, the world’s largest and best-funded homosexual-bisexual-transgender lobby organization.

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For Immediate Release: September 13, 2016

Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo Statement on
The Catholic Church’s Teaching Regarding Marriage

“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.

“As Catholics, we believe, all humans warrant dignity and deserve love and respect, and unjust discrimination is always wrong. Our understanding of marriage, however, is a matter of justice and fidelity to our Creator’s original design. Marriage is the only institution uniting one man and one woman with each other and with any child who comes from their union. Redefining marriage furthers no one’s rights, least of all those of children, who should not purposely be deprived of the right to be nurtured and loved by a mother and a father.

“We call on Catholics and all those concerned for preserving this sacred union to unite in prayer, to live and speak out with compassion and charity about the true nature of marriage – the heart of family life.”

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From the release:

Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Office of Communications

The Diocese of Richmond, established in 1820, covers over 36,000 square miles and serves more than 235,000 Catholics.

Deborah Cox, Director of Communications
dcox@richmonddiocese.org
(804) 622-5161 Office

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The following is taken from the homosexual lobby group Human Rights Campaign’s promotional page for the national dinner featuring Sen. Kaine and Rep. John Lewis (emphasis added):

Democratic VP Nominee Tim Kaine & Rep. John Lewis to Speak at National Dinner

By Brandon Lorenz, August 26, 2016

Today, HRC announced that Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Senator Tim Kaine will deliver the keynote address at the 20th annual HRC National Dinner on Saturday, September 10, 2016, in Washington D.C. Civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) will also speak at this year’s sold-out event, which will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Kaine has spent his entire career fighting for the equal rights of all Americans,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As part of the most pro-equality presidential ticket in American history, Tim Kaine will help ensure another four years of unprecedented progress for LGBTQ equality in this country and around the world.”

“Representative John Lewis is an American hero, and his lifelong work for the civil rights of all people has transformed our nation. In his nearly three decades on Capitol Hill, Representative Lewis has been one of the strongest and most outspoken champions of LGBTQ equality,” Griffin continued.  “With all the progress we have made under President Obama, Tim Kaine and John Lewis will remind all of us just how important it is that we fight to elect a President who will champion LGBTQ equality every single day she sits in the Oval Office. We are honored to welcome them both to our 20th annual National Dinner.”

Kaine has a strong commitment to LGBTQ equality. In addition to supporting marriage equality, Kaine is an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act — federal legislation that would finally guarantee explicit, permanent protections for LGBTQ people under our existing civil rights laws. One of Kaine’s first actions as Virginia Governor in 2006 was to sign an executive order adding sexual orientation protections to the non-discrimination policy for state workers. Kaine also recently signed onto an amicus brief in the 2nd Circuit case, Christiansen v. Omnicom Group Inc., arguing that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are prohibited under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He has voted in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and co-sponsored the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA).

Representative John Lewis (D-GA) will also be addressing the crowd at the September 10 event. Lewis knows the struggle for equality first hand and has been a longtime, outspoken advocate for LGBTQ civil rights. At the 2014 HRC Atlanta Gala Lewis said, “No government — state or federal — should tell a person who they can love and not love, who they can fall in love with and get married to… I will be there with you now and forever, as long as I have breath in my body.”

Lewis is a longstanding champion for LGBTQ equality. He is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Equality Act. He has a perfect 100 rating on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard and, among other things, is also the lead sponsor of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which prohibits any child welfare agency receiving federal financial assistance from discriminating against any potential foster or adoptive family on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence have put at risk all the progress on LGBTQ equality made under President Obama. Trump has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn nationwide marriage equality, and supports vile laws like North Carolina’s HB2. Pence became a national disgrace in 2015, for his “license to discriminate” bill that could have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people — and for subsequently defending the bill after an outcry from the business community and a majority of Hoosier voters.

The 20th annual HRC National Dinner is expected to draw more than 3,600 guests. More information is available at www.hrcnationaldinner.org. Journalists looking to cover the event can request a credential by emailing press@hrc.org.