Catholics have the obligation to protect marriage in our society and not relinquish their participation in public life: “The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1660) “God established the family as the basic cell of human society. Therefore, we must strive to make the needs and concerns of families a central national priority. Marriage as God intended it provides the basic foundation for family life and needs to be protected in the face of the many pressures working to undermine it.” (Faithful Citizenship). This issue can and will dramatically affect all families for years to come.

Catholics in the Public Square, along with the Michigan Catholic Conference and other pro-family organizations, teamed together on a campaign, Citizens for the Protection of Marriage, chaired by CPS President Marlene Elwell, that succeeded in obtaining the passage of Proposal 2, an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. CPS was instrumental in obtaining many more than the 300,000 signatures required to place the issue on the ballot and in promoting the Marriage Protection Amendment in every county of the state. Michigan voters passed the amendment by a margin of 59 to 41 percent in November 2004.

Thanks to all those who worked so hard to gather signatures and make the petition drive the tremendous success it was. We urge all Catholics who wish to answer our late Holy Father's call to the Catholic laity to be a Catholic Voice in the Public Square to join with us on future endeavors.

Remember, while one voice may seem timid, together we can—and will—be heard.

For more information on how the Catholic Church stands on the issue of same-sex marriage, please refer to the resources listed below.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons (Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith)