Archbishop Gregory: defending traditional marriage

The right understanding of what marriage really is, the role of the Church in public life, and the challenge of the New Evangelization in light of the coming Year of Faith, were the topics that Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, Georgia, discussed in an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio during the course of his ad limina visit. Archbishop Gregory began by offering his consideration of the challenges to traditional marriage currently underway in the United States, in light of US President Barack Obama’s May 9^th announcement of his personal support for so-called same-sex marriage. “Marriage is a public issue, ” said Archbishop Gregory. “It’s not simply a matter of a personal issue,” he continued, but one that impacts all of society. “It’s no longer what ‘I’ think it is – it belongs to the realm of public significance.” Archbishop Gregory said, “It is this perhaps excessive personalization that has caused such – I believe – a negative impact on marriage.” Archbishop Gregory expanded his discussion of marriage as a public institution. “[It] impacts more than just two individuals,” he said, adding, “[marriage] has a societal and public dimension about it, which is good for the society and the promise of the health of a society.” Listen to Archbishop Gregory’s interview with Chris Altieri: