bluffing

It Turns Out D.C.’s Catholics’ Threat to Yank Homeless Services If Marriage Passed Was a Joke

Don Wuerl

Wasn’t Archbishop Donald Wuerl going to eliminate the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington D.C.’s adoption and homeless programs if the City Council approved of gay marriage in the nations’ capital? Turns out, they were bluffing!

Earlier this month, with the Council’s first 11-2 vote to approve marriage, we wondered aloud whether the Church would keep its promise.

Now we know: THE CHURCH LIES!!

The Church’s Catholic Charities unit will not be pulling out of D.C., as Wuerl claimed. In a letter subtitled “Archdiocese Remains Committed to Serving Poor,” the Archdiocese wrote yesterday:

Today the District of Columbia joined a handful of states where legislatures or courts have redefined marriage to include persons of the same sex. Since this legislation was first introduced in October, the Archdiocese of Washington opposed the redefinition of marriage based on the core teaching of the Catholic Church that the complementarity of man and woman is intrinsic to the definition of marriage. However, understanding the City Council was committed to legalizing same sex marriages, the archdiocese advocated for a bill that would balance the Council’s interest in redefining marriage with the need to protect religious freedom. Regrettably, the bill did not strike that balance.

The Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities are deeply committed to serving those in need, regardless of race, creed, gender, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. This commitment is integral to our Catholic faith and will remain unchanged into the future.

Religious organizations have long been eligible to provide social services in our nation’s capital and have not been excluded simply because of their religious character. This is because the choice of provider has focused on the ability to deliver services effectively and efficiently. We are committed to serving the needs of the poor and look forward to working in partnership with the District of Columbia consistent with the mission of the Catholic Church.

Taxpayer dollars are just too good to turn down, aren’t they?

The above letter arrives from the same Church spokeswoman, Susan Gibbs, who told the Washington Post in November: “If the city requires [the Church to provide benefits to same-sex married couples], we can’t do it.”

Well, the original bill didn’t change, and there was no language inserted allowing institutions who receive taxpayer dollars to continue discriminating, and yet miraculously, the Church is still able to serve the needy. It’s a Christmas miracle!

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