Clergy oppose gay marriage ban

National Catholic Reporter, Nov 5, 2004 by Dennis Coday

DETROIT -- In the last week before Nov. 2 elections, 80 Michigan Catholics, including 20 clergy, issued a statement opposing state ballot Proposal 2, which would amend the Michigan constitution to define marriage as "the union of one man and one woman."

The Michigan Catholic Conference (NCR, Oct. 29) gave more than $500,000 to Citizens for the Protection of Marriage, a group working in favor of Proposal 2.

A statement, "Catholics Speak Out Against Proposal 2," released Oct. 24 said that its 80 signers "must respectfully dissociate ourselves from the [Catholic conference's] advocacy of Proposal 2."

"It is unclear to us that civil unions between gay people, by whatever name, pose a threat to traditional marriage," the statement said. "The proposed amendment seems an unnecessary and unwise introduction of discrimination into our constitution."

Among the 80 signers were several pastors of Detroit area parishes and Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton.