The Trinity bomb test officially ushered in the age of the American empire, with nuclear weapons as the cornerstone of foreign policy for at least 60 years. In this state, where 26% of the children live in poverty and hunger, these nuclear abolitionist Catholic Workers collect and redistribute food while criticizing nuclearism, militarism, sexism, capitalism and other systems of inequity that exacerbate violence and poverty. Instead of joining any of the various religious orders that recruit passionate Catholics to their celibate congregations, two of the Trinity Nuclear Abolitionist volunteers have formed what they call a “Hyper-Affectionate Romantic Partnership” (HARP) with each other. This jargon has not yet entered the vernacular, but it's useful to the HARPers who see a continuum in their friendship that defies terms such as “lovers,” “other-half,” “spouse,” “boyfriend/girlfriend” or “dating.”
In early 2008, this heterosexual HARP was just beginning. Chelsea Collonge and Marcus Page had joined the Catholic Worker movement because of their desire to live out their Christian ethics in the midst of a violent culture. The Catholic Worker movement offers a bridge between the mainstream culture and the counter-cultural life of voluntary poverty, services for poor folks and courageous pacifism which many christians have been called to over the centuries. Chelsea and Marcus began their HARP with the thought that it would be a potentially-renewable annual commitment. My interviews with Catholic Workers around the country revealed that commitments and convictions are what drive them to embrace the lifestyle of voluntary poverty and the practice of the Works of Mercy.
Marcus Page said, “I believe that Catholic Workers stay radical as they get older in the movement,” They learn that taking the Gospels seriously often leads followers of Christ to more serious commitments to the Way of Jesus Christ. The communities generally survive through the generosity of others, who donate to pay the bills, while the Christian anarchists risk personal safety by constantly inviting chemically dependent and mentally ill folks in for coffee, showers, laundry, shelter and random kindness.
At the end of 2008, Chelsea & Marcus conspired to extend their commitment from annual into a life-long, following a sense from God that they were made for each other and for their shared work. This kind of commitment could be a secret, but the couple is Catholic, and Trinity House is publicly accessible, so they needed to follow through with the public statement of a serious Catholic marriage. They seek to live their lives for the sake of others who have not received as much privilege, and so their HARP is for the sake of their community. As followers of Christ, they seek to imitate Christ by serving the purposes of their Loving Creator, rather than the interests of human institutions, governments and social class structures.
Their decision to make their marriage sacrament radical and therefore non-legal follows the ancient Christian tradition of serving the common good instead of financial interests, devoting energy to God and community over governments and popular gods of the culture. Marcus and Chelsea find spiritual authenticity in religious ceremonies when those rituals uphold the Christian spiritual values of nonviolence, respect for creation, and love for enemies. Any religious ceremonies which include honoring the government and cultural idols, or which are blessed by national government procedures are worthy of suspicion, due to the opposing fundamental energies of Love (in Jesus Christ) and violence (in governments that utilize armed police, armed forces, exploitation, and/or the threat of nuclear weapons). Because Chelsea and Marcus believe the forces of the U.S. Government are directly opposing the Love of a Triune God, they therefore cannot have Christ and Anti-christ bless their sacramental marriage.
Furthermore, the HARPers in this case seek solidarity with their gay and lesbian friends who are unable to have their spiritual partnerships officially recognized by most state governments in the USA. Some may say, “How can they get married in a church that won't allow homosexual marriages?” Marcus answers, “Nobody's perfect. We remain Catholic and pray the hierarchy will eventually grant the rites of marriage to all who ask in good conscience.” Marcus also sees that the true nature of a life-long HARP is equally accessible to LGBT folks. “A HARP becomes a Hyper-Affectionate SPIRITUAL Partnership as two people alongside each-other intrinsically need neither a church nor state blessing.”
To folks who say, “Your marriage won't be real unless it's enforced by civil authorities,” Chelsea answers, “Being anarchists means we don't need the threat of litigation to guide our consciences. We are blessed to know faith-based elders who stand as pillars of society in their care-giving roles for the common good and who have been successful in spousal love. These saints of matrimony will guide us and help us maintain a healthy HASP.”
You can read more about the religious significance of the dates they chose for engagement vows and wedding vows at 2009.lovarchy.org. The couple sees both sets of vows as significant parts of the marriage sacrament—the discernment period of engagement from February 14 to October 4 is a “sacramental” to Marcus and Chelsea in that they will be daily inviting God's presence into their decisions.
