Overview

There are roughly 51 million Roman Catholics in the United States, and 61% of those support same-sex unions. Yet even with growing support from the laity, and an increasing number of vocal priests and nuns, same-sex couples are still denied the opportunity to experience the sacrament of marriage. Drawing on testimony from same-sex married couples who have ""a meaningful connection to the Catholic tradition,"" this book makes a case for considering same-sex marriage as sacramental from a Catholic perspective. Further, it argues that Catholic families, church communities, and institutions would benefit from wider and deeper practices of gospel-inspired hospitality and sanctuary as it relates to queer persons and couples. At the book's heart are stories from twenty-two couples, gathered from in-person interviews in Wisconsin, Chicagoland, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay area. The research builds on a previous project on Catholic marriage, conducted with a colleague, Julie Donovan Massey, which resulted in Project Holiness: Marriage as a Workshop for Everyday Saints (Liturgical Press, 2015; winner of a 2016 Catholic Press Association Award). While that project was limited to heterosexual couples, expanding the research to include same-sex couples was both timely and necessary. Currently, the Catholic magisterium asserts: ""There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family"" (Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons (No. 4). Reasserted in the 2015 Synod document (No. 76). and quoted by Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia (No. 251). On the other hand, same sex marriage has been legalized in our country; same sex couples--including Catholic ones--are de facto marrying and parenting; a significant number of mainline Protestant churches support same-sex marriage; and some revisionist Catholic sexual ethicists support same-sex relationships. Clearly, at this moment in time, continued theological analysis of same-sex marriage is crucial. The voices and experiences of same-sex couples must inform that analysis. Gathered are stories that highlight how couples are sacraments to one another as well as to their families and communities, as their love overflows in lifegiving ways. Also included are powerful stories of rejection, inclusion, and belonging in families, church communities, and Catholic institutions, pointing to the power and necessity of gospel-inspired, radical hospitality and sanctuary. This book is an invitation to practice what Pope Francis calls ""the art of listening,"" necessary for genuine encounter and solidarity in a diverse body of Christ (The Joy of the Gospel No. 171).

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9781538182277

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Reviews

"The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage by Bridget Burke Ravizza offers an intimate and theologically-rich portrait of the joys, struggles, and hopes of same-sex couples (the author's term) as they faithfully strive to incarnate God's love in their lives....The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage gives much-needed crucial attention to the loving grace many queer couples already experience, as well as to the hope that this grace will be affirmed. -- ""New Ways Ministry"" A landmark study! Centering the lived experiences of same-sex couples, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage provides rich testimony for both the graces of married life and the disorienting harm of magisterial teachings. An essential reading for Catholic educators, Dr. Ravizza's book will transform Catholic conversations about marriage. --Emily Reimer-Barry, author of Reproductive Justice and the Catholic Church: Advancing Pragmatic Solidarity with Pregnant Women Centered on the personal testimony of same-sex spouses, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage sings with celebration, love and joy. It gets at the heart of ""sacramentality"" the embodiment of divine love. This book will encourage the LGBTQ faithful, their families and their allies. It will make engaging and enlightening reading for classrooms and study groups. --Lisa Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College In The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage: An Inclusive Vision for the Catholic Church, Bridget Burke Ravizza effectively pleads with readers to listen compassionately to the stories of 22 same-sex married couples who have ""meaningful connections to the Catholic tradition."" ...Ravizza argues for a reinterpretation of complementarity by reexamining relevant Biblical passages and suggests further readings in extensive notes and bibliography. The book is more academic as a result, but it serves as a resource for groups desiring to delve more deeply into the issues. -- ""U.S. Catholic"" In this inspiring study of 22 same-sex married couples, Bridget Burke Ravizza has undertaken what Pope Francis calls 'listening with the ear of the heart' to give voice to the loving and fruitful sacramental character of their relationships. Her message for those who would erect ecclesial fences around the sacraments: love knows no borders and grace has no limits. --Julie Clague, University of Glasgow Pope Francis urges Catholics to be a listening Church. Bridget Burke Ravizza shows us how it's done with this significant book marrying theological rigor with the insights of social science. Her book's greatest gift are the testimonies of daughters and sons of the Church in same-sex marriages. Their witness of love and faithfulness moved me deeply, calling me to be a better spouse and a better Catholic. Listen! --Kate Ward, author of Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality This book redefines the sacramental nature of marriage by providing ample testimony of the manifestations of Grace in the union of gay and lesbian couples through the public commitment of marriage. Despite the ongoing tensions between the institutional Church, magisterial teaching, and the People of God, Ravizza proposes a renewed hermeneutical lens that allows the witness of queer marriages to mediate the essence of God incarnated and imbued in the sacramental and quotidian realities of everyday life, challenging the institutionalization of sin that aims to control where, how, when, and through whom the essence of God is made manifest. --Elsie M. Miranda, Association of Theological Schools This ground-breaking book masterfully weaves together compelling personal narrative and rich theological reflection. It is prophetic, tender, and filled with wisdom. Ravizza provides a fuller picture of the grace in same-sex marriages and how the church can be a sanctuary for LGBTQ persons, couples, and their loved ones. A significant contribution to a Catholic theology of marriage. --Marcus Mescher, Xavier University Using the voices and experiences of LGBTQ married couples who have connections to Catholicism, Bridget Burke Ravizza makes a strong case for the sacramentality of same-sex marriage. She argues that sacramentality is made concrete in the lifelong, covenanted, and life-giving relationships that make up the core of this volume. There is often pain in these stories as couples encounter hate and rejection from family and church, but there is also redemption in the ways these couples and those who love them model community and fidelity. This gem of a book reminds us that moral reflection is always enriched by attention to the many small details of everyday experience. --Aline Kalbian, Associate Dean, Florida State University"

"A landmark study! Centering the lived experiences of same-sex couples, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage provides rich testimony for both the graces of married life and the disorienting harm of magisterial teachings. An essential reading for Catholic educators, Dr. Ravizza's book will transform Catholic conversations about marriage. --Emily Reimer-Barry, author of Reproductive Justice and the Catholic Church: Advancing Pragmatic Solidarity with Pregnant Women Centered on the personal testimony of same-sex spouses, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage sings with celebration, love and joy. It gets at the heart of ""sacramentality"" the embodiment of divine love. This book will encourage the LGBTQ faithful, their families and their allies. It will make engaging and enlightening reading for classrooms and study groups. --Lisa Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College This book redefines the sacramental nature of marriage by providing ample testimony of the manifestations of Grace in the union of gay and lesbian couples through the public commitment of marriage. Despite the ongoing tensions between the institutional Church, magisterial teaching, and the People of God, Ravizza proposes a renewed hermeneutical lens that allows the witness of queer marriages to mediate the essence of God incarnated and imbued in the sacramental and quotidian realities of everyday life, challenging the institutionalization of sin that aims to control where, how, when, and through whom the essence of God is made manifest. --Elsie M. Miranda, Association of Theological Schools This ground-breaking book masterfully weaves together compelling personal narrative and rich theological reflection. It is prophetic, tender, and filled with wisdom. Ravizza provides a fuller picture of the grace in same-sex marriages and how the church can be a sanctuary for LGBTQ persons, couples, and their loved ones. A significant contribution to a Catholic theology of marriage. --Marcus Mescher, Xavier University Using the voices and experiences of LGBTQ married couples who have connections to Catholicism, Bridget Burke Ravizza makes a strong case for the sacramentality of same-sex marriage. She argues that sacramentality is made concrete in the lifelong, covenanted, and life-giving relationships that make up the core of this volume. There is often pain in these stories as couples encounter hate and rejection from family and church, but there is also redemption in the ways these couples and those who love them model community and fidelity. This gem of a book reminds us that moral reflection is always enriched by attention to the many small details of everyday experience. --Aline Kalbian, Associate Dean, Florida State University Pope Francis urges Catholics to be a listening Church. Bridget Burke Ravizza shows us how it's done with this significant book marrying theological rigor with the insights of social science. Her book's greatest gift are the testimonies of daughters and sons of the Church in same-sex marriages. Their witness of love and faithfulness moved me deeply, calling me to be a better spouse and a better Catholic. Listen! --Kate Ward, author of Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality"

"A landmark study! Centering the lived experiences of same-sex couples, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage provides rich testimony for both the graces of married life and the disorienting harm of magisterial teachings. An essential reading for Catholic educators, Dr. Ravizza's book will transform Catholic conversations about marriage. --Emily Reimer-Barry, author of Reproductive Justice and the Catholic Church: Advancing Pragmatic Solidarity with Pregnant Women Centered on the personal testimony of same-sex spouses, The Sacrament of Same-Sex Marriage sings with celebration, love and joy. It gets at the heart of ""sacramentality"" the embodiment of divine love. This book will encourage the LGBTQ faithful, their families and their allies. It will make engaging and enlightening reading for classrooms and study groups. --Lisa Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College In this inspiring study of 22 same-sex married couples, Bridget Burke Ravizza has undertaken what Pope Francis calls 'listening with the ear of the heart' to give voice to the loving and fruitful sacramental character of their relationships. Her message for those who would erect ecclesial fences around the sacraments: love knows no borders and grace has no limits. --Julie Clague, University of Glasgow Pope Francis urges Catholics to be a listening Church. Bridget Burke Ravizza shows us how it's done with this significant book marrying theological rigor with the insights of social science. Her book's greatest gift are the testimonies of daughters and sons of the Church in same-sex marriages. Their witness of love and faithfulness moved me deeply, calling me to be a better spouse and a better Catholic. Listen! --Kate Ward, author of Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality This book redefines the sacramental nature of marriage by providing ample testimony of the manifestations of Grace in the union of gay and lesbian couples through the public commitment of marriage. Despite the ongoing tensions between the institutional Church, magisterial teaching, and the People of God, Ravizza proposes a renewed hermeneutical lens that allows the witness of queer marriages to mediate the essence of God incarnated and imbued in the sacramental and quotidian realities of everyday life, challenging the institutionalization of sin that aims to control where, how, when, and through whom the essence of God is made manifest. --Elsie M. Miranda, Association of Theological Schools This ground-breaking book masterfully weaves together compelling personal narrative and rich theological reflection. It is prophetic, tender, and filled with wisdom. Ravizza provides a fuller picture of the grace in same-sex marriages and how the church can be a sanctuary for LGBTQ persons, couples, and their loved ones. A significant contribution to a Catholic theology of marriage. --Marcus Mescher, Xavier University Using the voices and experiences of LGBTQ married couples who have connections to Catholicism, Bridget Burke Ravizza makes a strong case for the sacramentality of same-sex marriage. She argues that sacramentality is made concrete in the lifelong, covenanted, and life-giving relationships that make up the core of this volume. There is often pain in these stories as couples encounter hate and rejection from family and church, but there is also redemption in the ways these couples and those who love them model community and fidelity. This gem of a book reminds us that moral reflection is always enriched by attention to the many small details of everyday experience. --Aline Kalbian, Associate Dean, Florida State University"

Pope Francis urges Catholics to be a listening Church. Bridget Burke Ravizza shows us how it's done with this significant book marrying theological rigor with the insights of social science. Her book's greatest gift are the testimonies of daughters and sons of the Church in same-sex marriages. Their witness of love and faithfulness moved me deeply, calling me to be a better spouse and a better Catholic. Listen! --Kate Ward, author of Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality

Author Information

Bridget Burke Ravizza, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, teaches undergraduate and graduate students at St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. She contributes to the Peace and Justice Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, and master's in Theological Studies programs. Bridget is Coordinator of the Olive Branch Initiative at SNC's Cassandra Voss Center, where she leads the Faculty Learning Cohort on Intergroup Dialogue and Equity. Bridget's coauthored Project Holiness: Marriage as a Workshop for Everyday Saints won a 2016 Best Book Award from the Catholic Media Association. Recent publications include ""A Consideration of Teaching, Friendship, and Boundaries in Catholic Higher Education,"" with Mara Brecht, in the Journal of Moral Theology (January, 2021) and ""Love as Holiness in the Daily Lives of Married Couples,"" with Julie Massey, in Sex, Love & Families: Catholic Perspectives, edited by Jason King and Julie Hanlon Rubio. She is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society of Christian Ethics.

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