On February 25, 2012 New York State Senator David Carlucci of the 38 Legislative District, which covers Rockland and the western part of Orange County, hosted his mobile office hours at the Pearl River Library. Members of the Rockland County Catholic Coalition attended this meeting to discuss two issues with Senator Carlucci that are important – the recent redefinition of marriage to include same sex partners and his support for abortion rights. During this meeting Senator Carlucci informed the Catholic Coalition members that he “stands with most Catholics who are in favor of same sex marriage and a woman’s choice”.
The following is the Coalition’s response to Senator Carlucci’s chaotic view of human sexuality and his support for infanticide.
All practicing Catholics understand that to be Catholic it means that you believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, you take part in the sacramental life of the Church and you ascent to the Magisterium of the Church regarding issues of faith and morals. In these regards the Church’s teaching on marriage, homosexuality and abortion is clear.
The term homosexuality used in this response will refer to a sexual relationship between a man or between a woman who experience an exclusive or predominate sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts; as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” These acts are contrary to the natural law and close the sexual act to the gift of life – they do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complimentarily. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church; it states that homosexuality “under no circumstances can be approved.” The Catechism continues that the number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They are to be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.
Some in our society, however, believe that since homosexuals have been prohibited from being “married” as in the traditional definition of marriage this has amounted to discrimination. This leads to the next area of clarification – what is the purpose of marriage? Following the example and teachings of Jesus, the Church has unequivocally taught that marriage is the union of man and woman and that union is indissoluble. That is God himself has determined it: “what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” This teaching of Christ himself places marriage on a highly spiritual plain of sanctification; that is “authentic married love is caught up into divine love.” In Christian matrimony, Christ dwells within the married couple to give them the strength to take up their crosses . . . “to love one another will supernatural, tender, and fruitful love.” The intimate union found in traditional marriage is one of the mutual giving of two persons and the good of children which demands total fidelity from the spouses and requires an unbreakable union between them.
For men and women who identify themselves as homosexual, they are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter. Homosexual persons are called to chastity – like all Christian are obliged to regardless of vocation – single, married or religious life.
The next issue that Senator Carlucci raised was his support of women’s choice. As most know by now the term “women’s choice” is a highly subjective way of saying abortion rights. The number of abortions now stands at over 50,000,000. Generally it is un-American to be against “choice”; however, if we look at the context of Senator Carlucci’s use of the term “choice” he fails to see that the intentional act of abortion – infanticide – is in direct violation of the natural law and the divine law as written in the fifth commandment. (The fifth commandment forbids “direct and intentional killing.”)
Back in 1973 when the United States Supreme Court legalizing abortion (see Roe vs. Wade 1973) the Court claimed it could not clearly say when a human fetus’ life began in a woman’s womb. Almost 40 years later we have been enlightened through science and medicine which reveals: at day 20 the human fetus’ heart, brain, spinal column, and nervous system are almost complete and his eyes begin to form. At day 22 the human fetus’ heart begins to beat and by day 28 the human fetus is now approximately 1/4 inch long. The blood flowing in its veins is completely different than his mother’s and by the fifth month of pregnancy the sex of the fetus can be determined. (For more information on fetal development check out: http://www.all.org/nav/index/heading/OQ/cat/MzQ/id/MjQ0Mg/)
The choice of a woman to terminate her pregnancy maybe legal, however, it does not make it the ethical or morally permissive choice. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human being is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation. Senator Carlucci statement supporting a women’s right to choice (abortion) . . . deprives a category of human beings (the unborn) the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them . . . essentially denying the equality of all before the law.
Senator Carlucci on his website states that “only by working together can we make our community the best possible place to live, work and raise a family.” The Catholic Coalition asks him, how is this possible if he does not defend the traditional definition of marriage and he supports the killing of the unborn under the guise of a women’s choice issue?
For those who call themselves Catholics yet blatantly disregard the Church’s teachings on faith and morals – you willingly separate yourself from Jesus and the grace of his Church. When you have had the opportunity to lead other to Christ you instead chose to break the fraternal communion found in the Church by leading others to error and confusion.
Senator Carlucci can be contacted at his District Office located at 95 South Middletown Road, Nanuet, NY 10954, by phone: 845-623-3627 or via e-mail at carlucci@nysenate.gov
If you’d like to see who contributed to Senator Carlucci’s 2010 New York State Senatorial campaign please see: http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=131997.
