by Tablet Staff 

The Catholic bishops of New York are opposing a bill that would replace the terms “father,” “mother,” and “filiation” with “gender-neutral language,” charging that the change would “mock the foundation of the family.”  

The bishops, through a memorandum of opposition published by the New York State Catholic Conference, accuse the state’s lawmakers of once again showing how they are “focused on political pandering and appeasing a very small group of loud advocates.” 

“Erasing the terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from our laws will not help struggling New Yorkers afford groceries, access healthcare, or find housing, but it will further muddy what is true and good,” the memorandum states. “The truth is that mothers are mothers, and fathers are fathers. Words matter, and serious changes to our governing language serve only to wash away the importance of these roles in our society.” 

Specifically, the bill would amend the language in the family court act, the domestic relations law, the social services law, the civil practices law and rules, the judiciary law, the executive law, the general obligations law, the social services law, the vehicle and traffic law, the alcoholic beverage control law, and the education law to “adjust the language from paternity and filiation to parentage, so as to allow for gender-neutrality in the law,” according to the text.  

The legislation, which passed the Senate on June 2 and was sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul, is sponsored by State Senator Luis Sepúlveda, who represents the 32nd Senate District, which covers a portion of the Bronx. He has previously said that the bill is necessary to make the state consistent with current statutes and case law. 

The state’s Catholic bishops, meanwhile, charge that this is another example of the state’s government officials creating a throwaway culture.  

“The years-long push in our state for abortion on demand and up until birth, the endless millions of dollars funneled to Planned Parenthood, and the legalization of commercial surrogacy have reduced women to vessels and babies to disposable commodities,” the memorandum states. “The legislature’s final twist of the knife is now apparently removing the term ‘mother’ altogether.”  

“We must reverse course and recognize the importance of both mothers and fathers and pursue changes that truly support women and families,” it continues. “This bill might appease a small group of people, but its wholesale effect will be to mock the foundation of the family.  

“We urge you [Hochul] to veto this upsetting legislation and uphold the importance of both mothers and fathers in our state.”