Rainbow Sash Movement

This year the beginning of Lent not only marked our spiritual journey to Easter; it also marked a clash between the state and Church in the state of Rhode Island. In response to a request from the state's Commissioner of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a six-page legal opinion Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) on the issue of whether Rhode Island should recognize same-sex unions performed in Massachusetts.

"It is our opinion that based on all of the foregoing that whether based on Full Faith or Credit or on principals of Comity, Rhode Island will recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed in Massachusetts as marriage in Rhode Island," Lynch's statement reads. "Therefore, we advise the Board of Governors that it should accord marital status to its employees who were lawfully married in Massachusetts under the ruling of that state's highest court in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health."

This enlightened opinion was immediately challenged by the Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin, D.D., Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Providence. He issued a statement on Thursday saying "the decision of Attorney General Patrick Lynch to recognize so-called gay marriages from Massachusetts in Rhode Island is very disappointing."

"Marriage, as instituted by God, blessed by the Church and affirmed by every culture throughout the ages, is a union of one man and one woman," Tobin said in the statement. "The state should not be in the business of supporting other lifestyles or promoting immoral, unnatural sexual activity and that, of course, is the net effect of the Attorney General's decision."

Apparently Bishop Tobin feels qualified to comment not only on religion, and law, he has now shared his interpretation of history. What is troubling for me as a Roman Catholic is the bishop's decent into homophobia to justify his position. Tobin said in the statement. "The state should not be in the business of supporting other lifestyles or promoting immoral, unnatural sexual activity and that, of course, is the net effect of the Attorney General's decision." Reasonable people understand hate when they read it, and that is what the Bishop is promoting.

The change that had been sought was to change the status from domestic partner to married. The issue here is one of fairness, dignity and respect for all Rhode Island citizens. It is not the place of a non elected Bishop to define which citizens get which rights in a democracy. That type of thinking was done away with in 1775.

Let’s pray that all our citizens gay or straight are always treated with dignity and respect, and that government continue to listen to the Constitution, and not promote religious dogma over the rights of each of our citizens. Bishop Tobin would do well to study our Catholic Social Justice movement, and the many wonderful documents associated with it.