Albany, N.Y., Mar 9, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Catholic Conference of New York defended marriage as the union of a man and a woman at the annual lobbying day at the state Capitol yesterday.
Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, was joined by lead spokesman Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn in saying that marriage, as the union of one man and one woman, is for the good of society, reported the Associated Press.
Cardinal Egan celebrated mass at a nearby convention center for about 1,000 people that day. In his homily, he called marriage the “most basic, essential and sacred component of society”, and urged the people to champion the rights of the family.
Lobbying against same-sex marriage has become a priority for the bishops after a number of U.S. cities began issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples last month; 25 same-sex couples were married in New Paltz, in upstate New York.