{"id":19049,"date":"2012-12-12T12:09:27","date_gmt":"2012-12-12T17:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=19049"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:01:21","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:01:21","slug":"seattle-lays-out-policy-refresher-regarding-same-sex-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/12\/seattle-lays-out-policy-refresher-regarding-same-sex-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle lays out “policy refresher” regarding same sex marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

From the Archdiocese of Seattle website<\/a><\/strong>, some guidelines that I suspect will soon be appearing in other parts of the country, too:<\/p>\n

With voters\u2019 approval of Referendum 74, same-sex marriage is legal in Washington state beginning Dec. 6. Archbishop J. Peter Sartain responded to the passage of R-74 in an archdiocesan \u201cpolicy refresher\u201d sent to parishes Nov. 29.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The archbishop wrote that he was \u201cdisappointed that so many voters failed to recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the natural institution for the permanent, faithful covenant of love for a couple, for bringing children into the world, and for nurturing and educating those children. This change in civil law is not in the best interest of children or society,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Archdiocesan policies<\/strong>
\nThe archbishop also noted that several pastors and church leaders had raised questions about the implications of the new law. The refresher addressed several questions from the perspective of civil and canon law.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince marriage is regulated by both civil and canon law, clerics must always keep in mind the demands of both law systems,\u201d the refresher stated. \u201cNow that any two persons regardless of gender are permitted to enter marriage as defined in the State of Washington, the law of the Catholic Church diverges from civil law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two men or two women, \u201ceven if permitted to celebrate a civil marriage, are not qualified by canon law to enter marriage,\u201d the refresher continued.<\/p>\n

The refresher then laid out specific archdiocesan policies based on canon law:<\/p>\n