November 18, 2009
Catholic bishops affirm stance on marriage
by Michelle Boorstein
The Washington Post
The nation's Catholic bishops approved a position paper that emphasizes the church's traditional positions on marriage Tuesday, the same day that the D.C. Council agreed to schedule a vote on legalizing same-sex unions for Dec. 1.
The "pastoral letter" is part of a campaign launched in 2004 to counter the breakup of traditional families, said Richard McCord, executive director of the bishops' committee on marriage and family life.
The campaign initially was meant to highlight the divine in everyday aspects of marriage. It has turned recently to more political concerns, such as the creation of a committee to lobby against same-sex marriage bills such as the one pending in the District.
The pastoral letter, which passed 180 to 45, spells out the traditional position of the Roman Catholic Church. Some Catholic critics have called it "unpastoral" for its focus on threats to marriage, including, in the bishops' view, contraception and cohabitation, which the document compares to original sin.
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