Boston, Mass., Nov 30, 2003 / 22:00 pm
Catholic bishops in Massachusetts are urging the faithful to mobilize against the recent Supreme Judicial Court's ruling that will allow for same-sex marriage, and are advocating a constitutional amendment that reaffirms marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
The bishops issued this call in a letter that was read in churches across the state this past weekend, reported the Boston Globe.
"We hope that all citizens will come to recognize what is at stake and work to ensure that marriage as the fundamental institution of society will be safeguarded," said the letter, which was published in the Nov. 29 issue of The Pilot, the Boston archdiocese’s newspaper. Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley of Boston and the bishops of Worcester, Fall River and Springfield signed the letter.
The statement calls the court's Nov. 21 decision "a national tragedy," and declares the 180-day stay "a sure formula for chaos" that denies citizens a fair chance to respond.