Editorial: Our persons of the year for 2015

Michael DeLeon, left, and Greg Bourke April 28, 2015, in Washington, D.C. (Newscom/UPI/Pete Marovich)

Editorial
by NCR Editorial Staff | Dec. 28, 2015

As we live through them, it is often difficult to rec­ognize truly important, history-changing events, events that will touch future generations intimately and profoundly. Very likely, though, the U.S. Supreme Court decision of June 26, 2015, in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, which found same-sex marriage a con­stitutional right, is one of those events.

"The nature of marriage is that, through its en­during bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spiritu­ality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sex­ual orientation," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the 5-4 majority.

Catholic moral theologian Lisa Fullam was struck by "how strongly" the four principles and traditions the court cited as the foundation for its decision "echo Catholic doctrine on marriage."

As the church formulates a response to this new reality, she suggested, "a good first step for Church leaders would be to applaud the Court's decision in light of its overlap with Catholic values … and take note of the powerful spirit of love and commit­ment vivifying lesbian and gay marriages as well as straight marriages."

http://ncronline.org/news/people/editorial-our-persons-year-2015

Read the whole thing. It's compelling.