I Know What’s Best For All Of You, So Shut Up.

A religious Tool today, but with a very certain political bent.

Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, the Archbishop of Toronto (Roman Catholic) wrote Paul Martin a letter urging him to maintain the traditional definition of marriage. (Here and here for a couple of quick overviews added after I originally wrote this.)

My views on gay marriage have been noted in a previous Tool nomination. It’s a social justice issue and let’s get it over with already. As much as I disagree with him, I certainly respect the right of Cardinal Ambrozic to have his own opinion. I further respect his right to express that opinion in a letter to the Prime Minister, or any member of parliament.

However, notwithstanding the statement issued a few weeks ago by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops that they intend to wade into the debate, some part of me resents him making the letter public for the purpose of stirring up the populace. I’m not saying it’s wrong, nor that it’s unethical, nor even that he doesn’t have the right to do so.

No, what bothers me is that he, as the Archbishop of Toronto, presumes to speak not just for all Catholics (which technically is in his job description), but to dictate to the rest of us as well. "Is it fair to put children in the position of having to reconcile the values and beliefs of their parents with a state-sponsored understanding of marriage?" If it’s public education you’re worried about, don’t. There’s a separate Catholic school system and you’ve got pretty good control over what gets taught there.

Remember that we’re talking about civil not religious marriage, and the religious community has received any number of assurances that they won’t have to perform any marriages that they don’t want to. Catholic priests already won’t marry people who aren’t Catholic or who have been divorced but haven’t gotten a special dispensation from the Pope.

And remember that we’re talking about a church that has gone to great lengths to protect those members of the club from punishment who have been shown to molest young boys.

And notice that the Protestant United Church, the second largest church in the country, has formally approved same-sex marriage. Other churches are divide, unsurprisingly

And is it seven provinces and territories, or eight, that it’s already been declared legal and right? Federal legislation is just icing on the cake. The rest of the provinces will work things out eventually.

"Can we say with certainty what the social outcome of a redefinition of

marriage would be?" Cardinal Ambrozic asked. "In all humility, none of us can do so." You’re right, but I’m pretty sure that we’ve got a thing called the separation of church and state to avoid you being able to tell the rest of us or the government what to do.

Stuff it up your cassock, you Tool.