Editor's note to our readers re change in policy.

Editor's note to our readers re change in policy:

Recently, we received a complaint about the term "sodo-matrimony," which has appeared in our articles from time to time. The complainant quoted from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which defines "Sodom" as:

Function: noun

Etymology: Sodom, ancient city destroyed by God for its wickedness in Gen 19: a place notorious for vice or corruption.

The complainant asked us to remove the term.

The term sodomy is the term used 'for copulation between male persons" (Oxford Dictionary). The same dictionary describes a sodomite as a person practising sodomy." The term matrimony means "rite of marriage;" "state of being married." These ordinary terms have been placed together in order to distinguish the new legislation from the old.

"Sodo-matrimony" has been our attempt to distinguish between marriage--which history has always reserved for the voluntary union between a man and a woman--and the new legislation passed by the Canadian Liberal government in June 2005, which removed the old definition. By appropriating the traditional term marriage and giving it a new meaning unacceptable to all major religions, the government has left us no choice but to use new terms. The use of marriage in quotation marks, as in same-sex "marriage," is another effort to make the same distinction.

Our rejection of the use of the term marriage for same-sex copulation reflects that of the Catholic Church. That teaching was explained in an editorial of February 2005 which reads as follows:

On July 30, 2003 the [Vatican] published the June 3 letter Considerations regarding ... unions between homosexual persons (Toronto Star, "Ban gay marriages: Pope," Aug. 1). It includes these points:

1. "Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It is established by the Creator, with its own nature, essential properties, and purpose."

2. "The approval or legitimization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil.

3. "Civil law cannot contradict right reason without losing its binding force on conscience."

4. 'Allowing children to be adopted [within homosexual unions] is gravely immoral."

5. "The Catholic lawmaker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favour ... is gravely immoral."

The use of "sodo-matrimony" and "marriage" in quotation marks, is therefore, not connected to hate of any kind. Catholics are well aware that the Church flatly rejects the idea of hatred when it opposes and rejects same-sex "marriage" as invalid. After reminding us that "tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered' [#2357]" the Catechism tells us that men and women with same-sex attraction "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity." It goes on to say that every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. "These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition [#2358, emphasis added]." The Catechism then states that "homosexual persons are called"--as every person is called--"to chastity [#2359]."

At the same time, the Church will not accept the lifestyle of what it calls the culture of "homosexual acts" of which the new-fangled same-sex "marriage" is a part. The Church sees this refusal as just and necessary discrimination, and a duty of all Catholics.

Concluding note:

The word "sodo-matrimony" is more restrictive than the term same-sex "marriage," because the etymology, the root of the word, pertains to men only, and not to women--who also fall under the new legislation. In addition, same-sex "marriage" is a more effective term than "sodo-matrimony" in connoting complementarity between spouses. Our editorial policy has thus been changed to use the term same-sex "marriage" and drop the term "sodo-matrimony." Therefore, our website articles have now been changed.