Leading Catholic bishops Wednesday endorsed the idea of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, adding momentum to a national campaign seeking to deny legal sanction for same-sex unions.
The 50-member administrative committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, during a private meeting in Washington, D.C., echoed a decree from the Vatican in July denouncing same-sex marriage. The committee’s statement coincides with moves by some senators to amend the Constitution.
Conservative religious leaders said the bishops’ endorsement would inspire many believers to publicly support the Federal Marriage Amendment. Now under consideration in Congress, it would define marriage as exclusively heterosexual. Currently, a 1996 law gives states the right to permit same-sex marriage.
Richard Cizik, a leader in the Washington-based National Association of Evangelicals, said most of the organization’s 10 million members would support a ban on same-sex marriage.
“Millions of evangelicals will take note of the bishops’ statement and are likely to join the campaign,” he said. “It will prompt those folks sitting on the fence to take a stand. What our association has said so far is that we want to deepen our commitment to marriage and restore a priority on marriage.”
The bishops’ statement marks another significant development in the escalating debate over gay marriage.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Washington think tank, said the battle over marriage is likely to become a pivotal topic in the 2004 presidential campaign. He believes the issue is one of the most critical facing American society.
“Whoever defines marriage will write the history of this country,” Perkins said. “This will determine the future of America.”
Both sides have been emboldened by events of this summer. In addition to Pope John Paul II weighing in against same-sex marriage, conservatives received another boost in July. President Bush announced that he had directed White House lawyers to look for ways to write into law that marriage is a union only between a man and a woman. But he stopped short of endorsing the Federal Marriage Amendment.
The Supreme Court in June overturned criminal sanctions against gay sex, giving support to liberals. Liberals were encouraged further in August, when the Episcopal Church endorsed a gay bishop, Rev. V. Gene Robinson.
Momentum for the Federal Marriage Amendment has been building in Congress, its supporters say. An estimated 80 members of the U.S. House have proposed the amendment, effectively banning gay marriage. And the U.S. Senate held hearings Sept. 4 to explore measures to block courts from overturning the existing Defense of Marriage Act.
Proponents of heterosexual-only marriage, such as Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), believe only a constitutional amendment could prevent state courts from overturning a law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
“You can’t overturn a constitutional right,” said Santorum in an interview.
“It’s nice to see the Catholic bishops weigh in and speak the truth,” Santorum said. “What they are affirming is clearly the moral vision consistent with a healthy society. That’s all I expect and frankly desire from the Catholic bishops.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights, convened a hearing Sept. 4 to determine what measures, if any, were needed to preserve the Defense of Marriage Act, which supports heterosexual-only marriage but does allow states to permit same-sex civil unions. “Legal scholars and lawyers predict that DOMA will be struck down,” said Don Stewart, Cornyn’s spokesman.
“Our hearing confirmed that DOMA is in fact in trouble, if from nothing else from judicial activism,” he said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the bishops have been active behind the scenes for years to persuade state legislatures to define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman. The bishops apparently decided now was the time to make public their opposition to same-sex marriages.
“It comforts groups that the Catholic Church shares their concerns,” said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference. “A few years ago you wouldn’t have thought civil unions would become an issue.
The bishops’ statement could be part of a backlash afoot in the aftermath of the Episcopal decision. Conservative groups opposed to Robinson’s confirmation say they have received thousands of e-mails and letters of support.
