Avenir de la Culture to the French Bishops: Civil Unions Are Unacceptable

Avenir de la Culture is a French cultural organization that has long fought against moral degradation in society and especially as it appears in the media. The group recently sent a respectful appeal to every French Bishop to stand firm on the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church and natural law regarding homosexuality, and considers the bishops’ proposal for “improved civil unions” morally unacceptable. This proposal, it states, is detrimental because it causes division among Catholics and only widens the chasm between the shepherds and militant grassroots desirous of an uninhibited Church.

Avenir de la Culture to the French Bishops:
Civil Unions Are Unacceptable
Avenir de la Culture has just sent every bishop in France a copy of its “Respectful Appeal to the French Bishops: Have No Fear! – The proposal of an improved ‘civil union’ as an alternative to ‘marriage for all’ divides Catholics and weakens the reaction.”

The Respectful Appeal disapproves of a document issued by the French Bishops Conference (FBC) and individual statements by many bishops, including FBC vice-president Most Rev. Hippolyte Simon, Archbishop of Clermont, that the best way to oppose “marriage for all” is to allow the French Government to establish “improved civil unions.”

Avenir de la Culture recalls that the juridical recognition of same-sex unions runs counter to Church teaching that “there is no right at all to the practice of homosexual acts, which therefore cannot become a foundation for legal claims.”

Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by John Paul II teaches that “supported on Holy Scripture, which presents them as grave depravations, Tradition has always stated that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are opposed to natural law (no. 2357).

Avenir de la Culture is a French cultural organization that has long fought against moral degradation in society and especially as it appears in the media. The organization considers the bishops’ proposal for “improved civil unions” morally unacceptable and gravely damaging at a decisive moment of the resistance to the homosexual onslaught. It will eventually cause an unprecedented gap between the majority of the faithful and their shepherds.

The following day, December 20, 2012, Avenir de la Culture published a second Press Release reemphasizing the French bishops’ proposal for “improved civil unions” as morally unacceptable, and encouraging them to follow their Divine Master in preaching the truth from the housetops.

Avenir de la Culture to the French Bishops:

If the Salt Loses its Savor, What Will Replace It?
In its appeal to the French Bishops (press release of yesterday, Dec. 19) Avenir de la Culture considers the proposal for “improved civil unions” as an alternative to “marriage for all” as morally unacceptable.

On the strategic plane, this proposal is detrimental because:

• It causes division among committed Catholics who are most keenly aware of vital current issues;

• It widens the chasm between the shepherds and militant grassroots desirous of an uninhibited Church.

Another troubling aspect of the bishops’ statements on the Taubira projected bill is the complete absence of any religious argument as if the Catholic faith can no longer be affirmed in the public square.

In real life, this carefully secularist language of the vast majority of bishops creates an imbalance simply because the standard bearers of “modernity” are far from timid. They make no secret of their desire not only to shape society according to their ideology but also to cram the minds of our children and grandchildren with their education programs.

Much like Christian Democratic intellectuals, a majority of the French Bishops appear not to see that common ground for dialogue and collaboration between Christianity and the so-called human rights movement has long vanished. Thus, conflict between Christianity and secularist humanism becomes inevitable.

“Catholic grassroots are not of the same opinion [as most of their bishops.] They would like to see representatives of their Church also speak out on behalf of their Faith.

Are we not disciples of a Master who commanded us not to place a candle under a bushel and Who sent us to preach from the housetops?” states Avenir de la Culture in closing its “Respectful Appeal to the Bishops of France: Have No Fear!”

For further information on Avenir de la Culture and this struggle in defense of traditional marriage in France, please visit their web site at www.avenirdelaculture.fr