Boston, Mass., Nov 18, 2003 / 22:00 pm
Massachusetts' Catholic bishops are calling for the reversal of a ruling made by the Supreme Judicial Court yesterday, which overturns a ban on same-sex marriage.
The 4-3 decision in the case of Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health "defies reason" and rejects "an understanding of marriage tested over thousands of years and accepted nearly everywhere as the key to a stable society," said the bishops in a statement issued yesterday.
Despite the decision, the debate is still on, said the bishops, who urged the state legislature to send the Marriage Affirmation and Protection Amendment Act to the 2006 ballot. This way, "the people of Massachusetts can reaffirm marriage as the union between one man and one woman, overriding the court's misguided decision in furtherance of sound public policy," they said.
Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston also reacted to the ruling, expressing his hopes that the state's legislators "will have the courage and common sense to