Iowa Catholic Conference backs state effort to overturn same-sex 'marriage'

Des Moines, Iowa, Sep 20, 2010 / 16:52 pm

The Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC) announced on Monday its support for a move that would amend the Midwestern state's constitution to reverse the 2009 ruling that recognized same-sex “marriage” as legal.

A Sept. 20 press release from the ICC explained how every 10 years, Iowa voters have a chance to remake the state’s government through a constitutional convention. Although only 32 percent of voters called for the convention in 2000, numerous citizens are moving toward convening the constitution in 2010, given the Iowa Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex “marriage” last year.

“A ‘yes’ vote on this measure will allow Catholics and others to work for a marriage amendment to the Iowa constitution,” read the ICC statement. “This amendment would affirm the traditional understanding that marriage is a union of one man and one woman.”

“A basic test of policy is whether it supports or threatens human life and human dignity. From this, citizens and public officials alike must seriously consider matters related to the common good,” ICC added. “A Catholic ethic of life does not treat all issues as morally equivalent or reduce Catholic teaching to one or two issues.”

“As Catholics, we believe engaging in civic life is part of the mission Jesus Christ gives us,” the ICC underscored. “It is essential that we learn and take to heart the moral and social teachings of the Church and then apply these teachings to life in society.”

“The Church’s role, under our bishops’ leadership, is to help us form our consciences to make sound moral judgments.”