Foe of same-sex marriage ruling calls it 'radical,' 'devastating'

Published: 2003-11-20

BOSTON (CNS) -- At a press conference with many of the key players involved in supporting traditional marriage, a Massachusetts Catholic Conference official Nov. 18 called the decision by the commonwealth's highest court to overturn a ban on same-sex marriages "radical" and "devastating." Citing a number of sections from the Supreme Judicial Court's 4-3 decision, Daniel Avila, associate director for policy and research for the conference, rejected the court's conclusion that denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples constitutes a form of discrimination. In its ruling in the case of Goodridge vs. Department of Public Health, the court said that "barring an individual from the protections, benefits and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution." It stayed its opinion for 180 days "to permit the Legislature to take such action as it may deem appropriate in light of this opinion."

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .