Boston archbishop says Massachusetts same-sex decision is 'alarming'

Published: 2003-11-18

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Reacting to an "alarming" decision by Massachusetts' highest court to overturn a ban on same-sex marriages, Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston said he hopes the state's legislators "will have the courage and common sense to redress this situation for the good of society." The Boston archbishop's statement followed a Nov. 18 ruling of the Supreme Judicial Court in the case of Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health. In a separate statement, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference said the decision "defies reason" and was a rejection of "an understanding of marriage tested over thousands of years and accepted nearly everywhere as the key to a stable society." The agency representing Massachusetts' Catholic bishops said the decision must be reversed. "As devastating as the ruling is, it will not end the debate," the Catholic conference statement said. "We urge the state Legislature to send the Marriage Affirmation and Protection Amendment Act to the 2006 ballot. Thus 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."

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