Providence, R.I., May 3, 2011 / 03:55 am
After the defeat of a bill to recognize same-sex “marriage,” Rhode Island lawmakers should also reject civil unions for homosexual couples, the Catholic Diocese of Providence has said.
“We hope that those members of the Rhode Island General Assembly who have consistently supported traditional marriage will stay steadfast in their opposition to the legal recognition of same-sex relationships as either marriage or civil unions.
“Government sanctioned civil unions cannot be supported by those who truly understand the unique nature and status afforded a man and a woman in marriage,” the diocese wrote in an April 28 editorial in the Rhode Island Catholic.
The diocese called for a Defense of Marriage bill to clearly define marriage as a union between a man and a woman in Rhode Island.