[Salvation]

Might work for all ministers too!

[Salvation]

…Chaput also raised eyebrows when he urged the nation’s Catholic bishops to consider stopping the signing of civil marriage licenses for all couples in response to what he called the “new marriage regime” of same-sex civil marriage. Pennsylvania, along with more than 30 other states, now allows same-sex marriage.

Catholic Ping!

[miele man]

Am not clear what the Archbishop means. Is he saying the clergy conduct the marriage service but not sign the document or is he suggesting not conducting the service in the first place?

The priest at my parish has, for several months, been considering not conducting any marriage service, even for members (He has the canonical authority now to refuse to conduct weddings). Instead, members would be married by a JP and then a “blessing of the civil ceremony” could be done at a later time.

[PrincessB]

This is how things work in several countries. There is the legal ceremony or marriage registry and then the religious ceremony. Heck a friend of mine and her husband wanted to be married by a childhood friend who is a rabbi. He’s not licesensed to marry in our state, so they signed the paperwork with the JOP prior to the ceremony with family and friends. It wasn’t a big deal.

[Praxeologue]

Archbishop Chaput's idea removes the state from the marriage business, which is appropriate after the Supreme Court decision. The priest would conduct the ceremony, the couple would be married in the eyes of the Catholic Church and none of the state-mandated rights and responsibilities would apply. The relationship would be solely between husband, wife and the Church.

A priest who signs a state marriage license application, accepts the state's perversion of marriage.

[Arthur McGowan]

The very eminent canon lawyer Edward Peters has a response to Archbishop Chaput’s proposal:

http://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/the-wrong-response-to-a-demand-not-made/

[ansel12]

Choosing to make your marriage legal, or instead just make it purely religious or personal, has always existed and does now.

Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had to choose whether to comply with government law in regards to their personal marriages.

[MrB]

Might as well bring this to a head while we still have the means to resist.

The power of the State will be brought to bear against anyone making a stand on Christian principles.

Might was well “bring it” now.