CATHOLIC SCHOOLS STUDYING GAY UNIONS: From the Boston Globe

[Awkward headline--they mean that Catholic colleges are trying to figure out how SSM will affect them, not that Catholic elementary and secondary schoolchildren will be studying SSM as part of the curriculum. --Eve]

With a landmark court ruling allowing same-sex marriage set to take effect tomorrow, officials at area Catholic colleges say that while the ruling conflicts with church teachings, they are prepared to follow it.

"Right now, Regis policy provides that anyone who is married gets health benefits for themselves and their dependents," said Marjorie Arons-Barron, a spokeswoman for Regis College. "The college is studying the implications of the pending gay marriage law." ...

"From my point of view, I see same-sex marriage as a step in a long historical development," [Regis College sociology professor Alex Liazos] said. "Which is not to say it's not a momentous change. It is. But basically the history of marriage is that it's always changing."

Avila, associate director for policy and research for the Catholic Conference, said same-sex weddings raise questions about what gender and marriage mean.

He said he appreciated the tough questions he got from Regis students at the forum, which reinforced why the school was a good venue for such a discussion.

"What I see in this debate is a process by which we're coming to grips with, Does it mean anything to be a man or a woman? What would we be losing if marriage becomes an institution indifferent to the presence of both sexes?" Avila said.

Jack Dunn, a spokesman for Boston College, said that although the church opposes same-sex marriage, the university plans to abide by the law. He also said he "couldn't speculate" on how the college might handle a request from gay or lesbian graduates who might want to marry in one of the Catholic chapels on the campus of their alma mater.

"As a Catholic university, we are committed to upholding church teaching. However, the court's ruling makes it clear that all institutions are expected to abide by the new law effective May 17," he said. "The SJC decision does not provide exemptions for religious institutions. As a result, we expect to comply with the court ruling regarding same-sex marriage benefits." ...

Boston College law professor Scott FitzGibbon said that while he could not speak for the law school or the university, student housing is one area of potential concern.

"It seems to me that one acute area of potential moral conflict for a Catholic university would arise if it was asked or pressured to provide married student housing for gay couples," he wrote in an e-mail. "It seems to me that no Catholic university should do such a thing."

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posted by Eve at 3:32 PM VOTE

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