Catholic leaders
join petition against same-sex marriage

A new petition by American clergy in support of a federal constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage includes not only evangelical Protestant leaders, a few rabbis, and a Mormon official but also more than two dozen Catholic cardinals, archbishops, and bishops. That large number of Catholic backers is substantially more than has previously come out publicly in favor of banning same-sex marriage, reports The New York Times. "The personal involvement of bishops and cardinals is significantly greater this time than in 2004," Patrick Korten, spokesman for the lay Catholic group Knights of Columbus, told the Times, referring to the last time same-sex marriage came up for a vote in Congress. Organizers of the petition drive included aides to Republican senators Bill Frist of Tennessee, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and Sam Brownback of Kansas. The Senate has scheduled a vote on the proposed constitutional amendment in June, in the hopes of rallying their conservative base during this midterm election year. The clergy who've signed the petition have promised to give out postcards that congregants can send to their senators expressing their support for the amendment. The Knights of Columbus alone is handing out 10 million postcards to Catholic parishioners. "We think the American people are on our side on this, and we want the Senate to know it," Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, N.J., told the Times. But a recent Pew Research poll from March showed that only 51% of Americans oppose same-sex marriage, down from 63% in 2004. (The Advocate)