San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer has finally decided to speak out on his website, defending the church’s actions in helping pass Proposition 8, which denied marriage equality to all Californians, and placed marriages like ours in jeopardy.

“Religious leaders in America have the constitutional right to speak out on issues of public policy. Catholic bishops, specifically, also have a responsibility to teach the faith, and our beliefs about marriage and family are part of this faith.”

and…

“Members of churches who supported Proposition 8 sincerely believe that defining marriage as only between a man and a woman is one such issue. They see marriage and the family as the basic building blocks of human society, existing before government and not created by it. Marriage is for us the ideal relationship between a man and woman, in which, through their unique sexual complementarity, the spouses offer themselves to God as co-creators of new human persons, a father and mother giving them life and enabling them to thrive in the family setting.”

Bill May, Chairman for Catholics for the Common Good, who played a crucial role in getting Catholics behind Proposition 8, supported the Archbishop’s statement, which described “strong and legitimate reasons for supporting marriage between a man and a woman.”

May also went on to say that Niederauer “is a very loving person,” and “he expresses the teachings of the church in a very pastoral way. He is expressing the fundamental understanding of the Catholic Church that every human person has intrinsic dignity that must be respected.”

Except of course, when it comes to the intrinsic dignity and respect same-sex couples deserve.

Archbishop Niederauer who previously served as a Bishop in Salt Lake City, actively recruited the Mormon church to get involved in supporting Proposition 8 which would not have passed without their help.

In the video below the Archbishop enlightens us on the importance of marriage between one man, and one woman.

Find more here…

• San Francisco Chronicle Story
• Archbishop Biederauer’s Statement
• More on Bill May, Catholics for the Common Good and their role in Proposition 8

According to an article published today in the San Francisco Chronicle, Mormons were invited to lend support to Proposition 8 by Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco months before the election.

“The June letter from Niederauer drew in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and proved to be a critical move in building a multi-religious coalition – the backbone of the fundraising, organizing and voting support for the successful ballot measure. By bringing together Mormons and Catholics, Niederauer would align the two most powerful religious institutions in the Prop. 8 battle.

“Ironically, it made San Francisco, center of the nation’s gay community, a nexus in the fight against the recently gained gay right to marry.”

The article also details the dramatic shift in polling numbers on election day, likely attributed to a final push by churches on Sunday November 2 to vote Yes on Proposition 8.

Find out more about the Catholics involvement here in the SF Bay area.