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New Mass. Bishop: 'God Made Us Male and Female'

New Mass. Bishop: 'God Made Us Male and Female'

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And, of course, that means marriage for heterosexual couples only, according to Springfield's new Roman Catholic bishop.

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The new bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield, Mass., provides a reminder that despite Pope Francis's conciliatory words toward LGBT people, the church's doctrine isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Bishop Mitchell Rozanski, who will be installed Tuesday as leader of the diocese, said in a wide-ranging interview with a Springfield newspaper last week that many social problems are due to "the disintegration of family life" -- and healthy family life, as he sees it, is rooted in heterosexual marriage.

"As a church, what we are saying is that God made us male and female, and that the institution of marriage is so crucial," Rozanski told The Republican. "It is a sacrament of the church, if the sacrament is well lived, then the children and future generations will benefit."

Rozanski, 55, was formerly auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Baltimore. In Springfield, he succeeds Bishop Timothy McDonnell, who has retired. The Springfield diocese covers four counties in western Massachusetts. There are 81 parishes in the diocese and approximately 230,000 Roman Catholics, according to The Republican.

Pope Francis has called for the church to emphasize issues other than its opposition to homosexuality, contraception, and abortion, and last year he famously said, "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" But he has also said church doctrine on those matters is clear, and the rest of the church hierarchy continues to underline that.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.