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Education
Issues
Homosexual Agenda
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2004
CONTACT: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
TRADITIONAL VALUES GROUP SAYS MERCYHURST PROFESSORS ARE WRONG—GANNON UNIVERSITY MUST ADHERE TO EXISTING POLICY
(Erie) – The revelation that some of Mercyhurst College’s professors support same-sex marriage is most troubling a traditional values group said today in a e-mailed statement to President William Garvey. The professors’ statements were made during Monday night’s panel discussion hosted by the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. It was part of a four-day Academic Celebration at Mercyhurst.
“Apparently some of Mercyhurst’s professors had a lapse of memory Monday night and need a refresher course on Catholic teaching on the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage,” said Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA)
Also, the e-mailed statement included a reminder of last year’s document issued by the Pope concerning the issue of same-sex marriage: “In addition, on July 31, 2003 the Pope issued a document indicating the firm opposition of the Church to legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The 10-point document, entitled Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons was approved by Pope John Paul II on March 28, 2003 and circulated among the world’s bishops last June.”
The issuance of the document was first reported in the Catholic World News.
The full text of the Vatican document can be found at :
According to a June 2003 Reuters report, Pope John Paul said in an open air mass for more than 100,000 people in the northern Croatian port of Rijeka, that Catholics should not be afraid of publicly defending traditional family values in modern society.
In addition another Erie Catholic school is faced with the possibility of starting a Gay-Straight Alliance(GSA). In 1996 a pastoral statement was issued reiterating Gannon’s adherence to Catholic teaching and “cannot condone a sexually active gay lifestyle which is not God’s intention for our gift of sexuality.” But this year a fifth-year senior is mounting an effort to start a GSA on campus.
“Catholic doctrine is very clear on the issue of homosexuality. The AFA of PA encourages Mercyhurst College President Garvey to clearly state the school’s policy on same-sex marriage. Additionally, we encourage Gannon University to adhere to its 1996 statement on homosexuality. To approve this sexual activity is not only against Catholic teaching, but is not in the best interest of those involved in this dangerous lifestyle. The students and parents of these Catholic institutions of higher education need to be assured that they are supporting truly Catholic schools,” Gramley concluded.
The Catechism defines homosexual behavior as "acts of grave depravity...intrinsically disordered...contrary to the natural law...Under no circumstances can they be approved."
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