The 2012 Utah Legislature was a relatively quiet affair, but still underscored the Catholic Church’s non-partisan teachings. As a diocese, we spoke out on issues that ranged from liberal to conservative. This utterly confused some legislators, while highlighting the beauty of our Church teachings and beliefs. At the center of all of our public statements on proposed laws was our core belief in the value of every person and the right of all to live a life of dignity. According to Catholic teaching, a life of dignity in America at its most basic level includes equal access to food, housing, education, employment and health care. Based on these essential beliefs, the diocese supported legislative efforts to protect gay and lesbian individuals from discrimination in housing and employment, to require a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion may be performed, to provide health care to legal immigrant children, to protect consumers from predatory businesses, and to alleviate overcrowding in prisons. Our position on the non-discrimination bill seemed to cause the most surprise because of the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual expression. The Church still does not condone any sexual activity outside of marriage, regardless of sexual orientation, and believes marriage is between a man and woman. But sexual orientation is not the same as sexual expression. Regarding orientation, our core teaching does not make any exceptions. As stated at the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, "consider every neighbor without exception as another self, taking into account first of all his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity." We are to see Christ in everyone, born and unborn, innocent or not so much, gay or straight, and work to ensure a life of dignity for all of the above. The non-discrimination bill before the Legislature would have set a state-wide position that, in Utah, all people have equal worth. Unfortunately, the bill did not make it through the legislative session. The issue is not gone, however, and the diocese will continue to support non-discrimination. It is our belief, as stated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, that the "fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence" against our LGBT brothers and sisters. Our belief in the value of human life also guided our opposition to H.B. 49 Firearms Revisions. Current Utah law does not specifically prohibit or allow people to openly carry firearms. HB 49 would have erased any ambiguity, while prioritizing the right of the person openly carrying a firearm over the rights of others to feel safe. Anticipating the very natural reaction people have to seeing a visible firearm, the bill proclaimed that openly carrying a weapon does not constitute . . . a cause for public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm. We, along with the Gun Violence Prevention Center, remarked to legislators that they do not have the power to make this statement reality. An openly carried firearm is a cause for alarm for many reasonable people. In a related action, the Legislature passed a youth suicide prevention bill and attempted to provide parent education in youth violence. We noted to legislators that a culture of open carry would be in direct conflict with these other efforts to curb violence. Our efforts to encourage a culture of life were somewhat successful; the bill did not pass, but will continue to be debated in interim committee meetings. The diocese will, likewise, continue to speak against the bill and in favor of legislation that promotes the dignity of life for all.
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