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Washington State Bishops Release Public Letter About Marriage

The Catholic Bishops of Washington State recently released a public letter calling for citizens to maintain the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In their letter, Archbishop Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Elizondo of Seattle, together with Bishop Cupich of Spokane and Bishop Tyson of Yakima noted that

“Marriage in faith and societal traditions is acknowledged as the foundation of civilization. It has long been recognized that the stability of society depends on the stability of family life in which a man and a woman conceive and nurture new life. In this way, civil recognition of marriage has sought to bestow on countless generations of children the incomparable benefit of a loving mother and father committed to one another in a lifelong union. (emphasis added)”

The bishops reiterated that marriage is not only a teaching of faith, but is also a truth accessible to right reason: “Washington State’s present law defining marriage as ‘a civil contract between a male and a female’ is grounded not in faith, but in reason and the experience of society.” In other words, we can and should have recourse to right reason in defending the truth of the Church’s moral teaching regarding marriage.

Finally, the bishops of Washington State “urge [citizens] to contact your own state senator and your two state representatives to request that they defend the current legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.”

The Washington Catholic Bishops’ appeal is for the good will of all and they ask “all to join in praying with us for married couples and families and to do everything possible to support them.”

Read the Bishop’s full letter here: http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Assets/ARCH/BishopsMarriageStatement.pdf

Website for the Washington State Catholic Conference: http://thewscc.org/

3 responses to “Washington State Bishops Release Public Letter About Marriage”

  1. Jake says:

    I’m thankful for the bishops who are speaking out on the truth about marriage.

    Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his 2008 World Day of Peace Message the following:
    “…whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community, national and international, since he weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace. This point merits special reflection: everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace.”

    In other words if you want peace, you have to defend the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman.

  2. Genevieve Cahoon says:

    I am delighted with the Archbishop’s letter, but have not seen a petition at ST. Jude’s Redmond yet to sign. Shouldn’t we all at least have a chance to sign this and do more than talk about it?? Is I-1192 the same as Ref. 74?? I may have to call around and see what other churches are doing. AT 87 I feel pretty helpless not seeing more action. Time is of the essence I would think. Blessings, GMC

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