A group of prominent Catholic bishops censured Vice President Joseph R. Biden for officiating a same-sex wedding ceremony between two White House staffers.
In a post on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Blog on Friday, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, Bishop Richard J. Malone and Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski do not mention Mr. Biden by name, but condemn the notion of a “prominent Catholic politician publicly and voluntarily” officiating a same-sex wedding ceremony.
This, the bishops said, causes confusion regarding what the Catholic teaching on marriage is.
“What we see is a counter witness, instead of a faithful one founded in the truth,” they said.
The post came less than a week after Mr. Biden officiated a wedding ceremony between Brian Mosteller and Joe Mahshie, two longtime White House staffers.
“Proud to marry Brian and Joe at my house,” the vice president wrote in a tweet after the ceremony. “Couldn’t be happier, two longtime White House staffers, two great guys.”
The bishops point out that Pope Francis has staunchly defended the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman.
The pontiff reiterated the Church’s stance earlier this year in Amoris Laetitia, when he said same-sex relationships are not “in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and the family.”
Mr. Biden came out in favor of same-sex marriage in 2012.
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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