Bishops asked to lobby senators on marriage amendment

Published: 2004-06-25

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The president of the U.S. bishops' conference has asked his fellow bishops to contact members of Congress in support of the Federal Marriage Amendment. In a June 24 letter, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., asked the U.S. bishops to personally contact their senators urging support for the constitutional amendment that would define marriage as only a union of a man and a woman. It would allow individual states to decide whether to legalize civil unions or domestic partnerships. Bishop Gregory said the Senate leadership had requested the bishops' conference formally support the amendment. A vote on the measure could come as early as mid-July. The Senate is scheduled to recess between July 26 and Sept. 7. As of June 25, the Federal Marriage Amendment had 16 Senate co-sponsors. The bishops' conference "strongly supports S.J. Res. 30," Bishop Gregory wrote. "We urge you to contact your senators and ask them for their support of this legislation."

Copyright (c) 2004 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 The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in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 .