Gay Marriage is “Big Trouble,” Dolan Says

Advocates of gay marriage are tampering with an innate moral code that defines marriage as between one man and one woman – and any redefinition could lead to “big trouble,” Archbishop Timothy Dolan said.

"Hard-wired into us is a dictionary, and the dictionary defines marriage as between one man, one woman for life, please God, leading to the procreation of human life,” Dolan told the New York Post.

“If we begin to tamper with the very definition of marriage, then we're going to be in big trouble,” he said.

Dolan stressed that his opposition to gay marriage does not stem from an anti-gay platform. 

“We're not anti-gay -- we're pro the most basic definition of marriage,” he said.

His statement comes a week after his installation as the head of the nation’s most influential Catholic community, a week that also saw Gov. David Paterson introduce legislation to legalize gay marriage in the state.

Critics called Paterson’s move a provocation as Dolan became the spiritual leader of New York’s 2.5 million Catholics. Dolan said he has spoken with Paterson and disagrees that the move was an instigation.

“He does not strike me as the kind of man who insult anybody,” Archbishop Dolan told the Post.

In the wide ranging interview, Archbishop Dolan stressed his position that abortion is “intrinsically evil.”  He praised new initiatives that help give women a “pro-life” opportunity  -- such as the Catholic Charities run nursery at a women’s prison in Westchester.

"That's pro-life at its best, and that's where we gain credibility for our message -- if we are giving the kind of creative, life-giving alternative to what we call the 'culture of death,' " Dolan said.

The archbishop also said he believes the church has made firm strides to begin dealing with molester priests, and he appealed to Catholics who have felt alienated from the church.

"I would say, 'Don't let past hurts, or don't let preconceived notions, cloud the beauty, the truth, the warmth, the joy, the liberation of being Catholic. Give her another chance. She is your family.”

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