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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Bishop Regina Nicolosi, RCWP Challenges Archbishop Nienstedt from Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul on the Marriage Amendment and "Obamacare"


Dear Archbishop Nienstedt,

You are misleading the faithful.  I am referring to your statements that 1) Catholics should vote “yes” on the Marriage Amendment and  2)They should oppose parts of “Obamacare”, especially the stipulation that a woman’s birth control pills would be covered through her employer’s insurance. 

What is most misleading about these two positions is your insistence that a “yes” on the Amendment and a “no” to the coverage of birth control are central to our Catholic faith. Not only do you believe that it is your duty as bishop to instruct the faithful about this faith but in addition, you declare that your struggle is necessary to preserve the “religious liberty” of the Catholic Church.  And there is more. You believe that you are entitled to force your own moral understandings not only on your Catholic “faithful”, but on others who do not share your convictions and beliefs.

I am presently reading a book by a Catholic moral theologian, Margaret Farley.  The title of the book is “Just Love.”  Let me share with you the four sources she expects a moral theologian to use before making a decision.  They are: scripture, tradition, secular disciplines and contemporary experience.

Very little is written in scripture about homosexuality and nothing about birth control.  The tradition of the Catholic Church offers a variety of opinions and practices on both subjects.  Most of these opinions and practices have been shown to grow out of the negative understanding of both sexuality and of women in the long history of our church.  Most scholars in the secular disciplines of psychology, sociology, medicine and education offer a view of homosexuality, women and marriage that differ very much from yours and your brothers in the hierarchy. 

In regard to contemporary experience, let me share with you that my husband and I have a daughter, Claudia.  Claudia is married to Lisa.  Together they adopted four children.

In no way does our daughter’s marriage threaten my husband’s and my marriage of  almost 44 years.  These four grandchildren are nurtured and loved and  are thriving just as much our other grandchildren.

Please stop using the resources of the Archdiocese, especially the financial resources, to advocate the restriction of basic human rights and choices.  The message of our brother Jesus has little to do with controlling others’ sexuality and much more with justice and love.

 

Regina Nicolosi

Roman Catholic Bishop, Retired Chaplain

250 Overlook Lane

Red Wing, MN 55066

651 388 6059

 

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