Professor urges audience to be ‘active citizens’ in defense of marriage
By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A central theme of a Vatican conference last fall was the need to push back against a “new cultural imperialism” that seeks to impose liberal, western values about sexuality and marriage on the third world, said a Princeton University professor who initiated the gathering.
Robert P. George, a leading conservative intellectual, spoke Tuesday at St. Paul’s Church in Princeton about the 2½ day-interfaith conference in which Pope Francis said marriage is in “crisis.” George said the gathering drew religious leaders and scholars around the world from a cross-section of faiths.
“We certainly learned that, when it comes to the institution of marriage, we are much closer than people might have imagined,” Mr. George said.
Video clips from the conference were played, showing some of the remarks by speakers at the conference, including the Pope and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the past chief rabbi of Great Britain.
Expounding on the Pope’s comment about marriage in crisis, Mr. George said, “You don’t have crises over trivial things. If there’s a crisis, it’s about something important.”
Later in his remarks, Mr. George said Africa is a “ground zero” in the fight against cultural imperialism.
“Tremendous pressure is being brought on African cultures and governments and churches to conform,” said Mr. George, who added representatives from Africa attended the conference.
Mr. George supports the traditional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. He has written and spoken on the subject, including a book he co-wrote called, “What is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense.”
He spoke to a friendly audience at a church where he is a member. Toward the end of his remarks, he urged his Catholic listeners to take heart and “be active citizens” in defense of marriage.
“All is not lost,” he said. “You have every bit as much right as any secularist to come out into the public square and advocate for your position.”
He also urged them to “form alliances” with their non-Catholic friends “who might share your view.” He also said parents and grandparents ought to look into what is being taught in pubic schools about marriage, family and sexuality.