Archbishop Wuerl backs D.C. initiative to protect definition of marriage

The Archdiocese of Washington has submitted a letter to the District of Columbia’s Board of Election and Ethics in support of the Marriage Initiative of 2009. The initiative would define marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

Auxiliary Bishop Barry C. Knestout, who is vicar general of the archdiocese, wrote on Tuesday to Errol R. Arthur, Chairman of the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics.

Speaking on behalf of the archdiocese, Bishop Knestout expressed his support for the initiative, saying it would allow voters to ensure that the District continues to define marriage “as it always has been.”

Noting that 580,000 Catholics live in the archdiocese, the bishop explained that Catholic teaching and a “long-standing commitment” to the common good compels the archdiocese to support the initiative.
“Marriage simply recognizes a relationship that is fundamental to nature: the complementarity of man and woman. That relationship is not a creation of church or civil law,” he added. Read the entire article.
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