USCCB concerned by Supreme
Court ruling on sex discrimination
 |
| The US Supreme Court (AFP) |
The President of the USCCB has issued a statement on the
decision of the United States Supreme Court concerning the legal definition of
“sex discrimination” in civil rights law.
By Vatican News
Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, the President of the
USCCB, has said he is “deeply concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court has
effectively redefined the legal meaning of ‘sex’ in our nation’s civil rights
law.” He described the Court’s action as “an injustice that will have
implications in many areas of life.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the Supreme Court held that
an employer who fires an individual merely for being homosexual or transgender
violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That statute prohibits
employment discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, and
national origin. The judgment concerned three cases: two dealing with “sexual
orientation” and one with “gender identity”.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion of the court, ruling
that an employer who fires someone “for being homosexual or transgender” is
discriminating against them “in part because of the applicant’s sex” and thus
constituted discrimination based on sex.
The meaning of “sex” discrimination
Various religious organizations, including the USCCB, had
argued that the term “sex” as used in Title VII does not include “sexual
orientation” and does not mean “gender identity.”
In amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs filed before the Supreme Court, the USCCB noted that the various cases involved “values of particular importance,” including “protection of the religious freedom and other rights of faith-based organizations and their adherents, and the proper development of the nation’s jurisprudence on these issues.”
In amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs filed before the Supreme Court, the USCCB noted that the various cases involved “values of particular importance,” including “protection of the religious freedom and other rights of faith-based organizations and their adherents, and the proper development of the nation’s jurisprudence on these issues.”
God’s plan for creation
In his statement following Tuesday’s ruling, Archbishop
Gomez recalled that “Every human person is made in the image and likeness of
God and, without exception, must be treated with dignity, compassion, and
respect.” However, he continued, “Protecting our neighbours from unjust
discrimination does not require redefining human nature.”
The USCCB President focused on “God’s plan for creation and
for our lives,” which includes “the beautiful differences and complementary
relationship between man and woman.” He explained, “As Pope Francis has taught
with such sensitivity, to live in the truth with God’s intended gifts in our lives
requires that we receive our bodily and sexual identity with gratitude from our
Creator.”
He concluded his statement with the prayer that the Church
“will be able to continue her mission to bring Jesus Christ to every man and
woman.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét