Bishop chairmen implore Congress to reverse course on harmful Respect for Marriage Act (USCCB)

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, chairman of the US bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester (MN), chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, urged members of the House and Senate to reject the Respect for Marriage Act.

In July, the House passed the bill in a 267-157 vote; the Senate has advanced an amended version, supposedly more compatible with religious liberty, in a 62-37 vote.

“The Respect for Marriage Act’s rejection of timeless truths about marriage is evident on its face and in its purpose,” Cardinal Dolan and Bishop Barron wrote on November 23. “It would also betray our country’s commitment to the fundamental right of religious liberty ... If passed, the amended Act will put the ministries of the Catholic Church, people of faith, and other Americans who uphold a traditional meaning of marriage at greater risk of government discrimination.”