SEATTLE — The two bishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle said they will call on parishioners to collect signatures in support of Referendum 74, a ballot measure aimed at overturning the recently passed marriage equality law in Washington state.
J. Peter Sartain (left) and Eusebio Elizondo
In a letter to the archdiocese, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo described the issue as “critically important” and said information on the signature drive is being sent to pastors throughout the Western Washington diocese, reported the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
In their letter, the bishops specifically deny that refusing marriage to same-sex couples equates to discrimination — an argument made by Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Catholic, in arguing for marriage equality.
“Treating different things differently is not unjust discrimination,” the bishops claim. “Marriage can only be between a man and a woman because of its unique ends, purpose and place in society. The word ‘marriage’ isn’t simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships.
“Instead ‘marriage’ reflects a deep reality — the reality of the unique, fruitful, lifelong union that is only possible between a man and a woman. There is nothing else like it, and it can’t be defined or made into something that it isn’t.”
State Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle), an openly gay, Catholic lawmaker who sponsored the same-sex marriage bill, described the bishops’ efforts as “reprehensible.”
The marriage equality law does not require churches to marry gay couples or make church facilities available for same-sex unions.
The petition drive is being coordinated by the group Preserve Marriage Washington, a coalition that opposes same-sex marriage and filed R-74.
Opponents hope to collect 120,577 signatures by June 6 to place the ballot measure before voters in November seeking to repeal the marriage equality law.
The measure allowing same-sex marriage was signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in February, and takes effect June 7, but will be placed on hold pending the outcome of the November vote if Preserve Marriage Washington collects the required number of signatures to quality for the ballot.
Recent polling in Washington shows 50 percent of voters would uphold the marriage equality law, versus 46 percent who would vote to repeal.
Filed under: Washington (State)
Florida teen fighting criminal charges related to same-sex relationship
Linda Harvey: Gay news sites trick kids into becoming gay
Wash. florist who refused flowers for gay couple’s wedding files suit against state
Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple
Catholic school: Transgender student must wear girl’s graduation gown
Another Ore. bakery refuses to provide wedding cake for same-sex couple
Graham threatens to pull support from immigration bill if gays are included
Matt Barber tweets homophobic cartoon of gay man tricking Boy Scout into sex
UPDATED: Police call fatal New York City shooting an anti-gay hate crime
Parents sue S.C. hospital over child’s gender assignment surgery
Scottish cardinal to atone for sexual misconduct with younger clergy
BREAKING: Minn. governor signs marriage equality bill — ‘Love is the law’
BREAKING: French president signs marriage equality bill into law
Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
Pa. school still refuses to announce transgender grad by his chosen name
way to go seattle! good standing up for equal rights for all! oh wait never mind. :-/
they don’t have much to stand on, themselves.
So when are these guys gonna lose their tax-exempt status? Hmmmm…?
where is the irs? is this not taking a political stand thus exempting the tax exempt status?
love to be a fly on the wall when they get to where they think they’re going when they die!!! SURPRISE!!!
hmmm separation of church and state conflict, maybe?
Yes it is amazing how seperation of church and state does not apply everywhere. Seems we have alot of control issues residing still within the church. People wonder why I do not attend lol.
Can I borrow the petitions? I’m out of toilet paper.
This should IMMEDIATELY revoke the church’s tax free status. There’s NO excuse for this.
Don’t they have other problems like child sexual abuse to deal with. I think the Catholics should not be judging anyone right now.
in other words participate in hate propoganda
TAX….THE…..CHURCH! It is no longer a religious institution, it is a political organization and should be taxed!
Lets pass a petition for the clergy to stop molesting children, and then the Roman Catholic Church for covering it up.
That is sooooo NOT Christian!
These old bastards and alll their kind will be right at home burning in Hell. They preach hate and intolerance and that is not gods teachings at all.
Those names should be invalid due to religous freedoms in this country. i am a GAY Christian and i know my religious freedom is being violated by these Catholic molesters.
The Catholic Church has formed PACS all over the country that not only support, but organize and fund anti-marriage equality laws and constitutional ammendments. They are no longer acting as a strictly religious institution and therefore should give up their tax-exempt status–on a Federal level. Someone raised a great question: Where is the IRS??? They should be looking into this! At a time when our country needs $$$, we are overlooking an entity that is listed as one of the top 5 richest on the planet!! Somebody needs to get going on this.
They are worried that if people become more and more enlightened and evolved, the church will lose more and more money, I mean people. It takes alot of money to keep a corporation that big running. Eventually, people WILL know the truth and
Amen – no pun intended – to all the calls for tax-free status removal. It’s a massive rort for all religious organisations, just think of all the televangelists and various “ministries” that have been set up like corporations. And these charlatans ride high on the profits.
And that TRUTH will surely set them FREE!
Can the Parishioners also distrubute petitions to stop the Priests from sexually abusing children? I would certainly rather see two loving adults of any gender legally married than see some wizened old bastard with a clerical collar around his neck abusing some innocent child.
Just one more reason to hate hypocritical Catholics.
I don’t hHATE the but I truly PITY them!!!!
seeing this story and the one below is ironic to me,, here in conservative clark county the russian orthadox voters will be out in force to keep us from keeping equal rights.
They are such hypocrites. I’m glad that I burned my bible. Religion is a joke.
Has anyone filled out Form 3949-A (turning in Tax violations) and sent it to the IRS? You do not have to identify yourself on the form.
All of us are God’s children so what give this Bishop the right to out cast the given rights of anyone. God loves all of us and this Bishop will have to answer to God as do we all.