Catholics told to vote their conscience on marriage ban

Cy Ryan and Ed Koch

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- While the Catholic Church believes marriage is a union between man and woman, the church hierarchy in the state is telling its members to vote their own consciences on the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages in Nevada.

Monsignor Patrick Leary, administrator of the Diocese of Las Vegas, and Bishop Phillip Straling of the Diocese of Reno, issued a joint statement Monday, making it clear the church believes marriage is a "lifelong union between one man and one woman ..."

But they said, "The question of whether existing Nevada law sufficiently protects marriage or whether a change ought to be made in the Nevada Constitution is to the Catholic Church in Nevada a question that must be answered by each voter."

Although not exactly a ringing endorsement, the church has in effect given its blessing to the cause, said Richard Ziser, chairman of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, the driving force behind the ballot question.

"It is absolutely an endorsement," he said. "The church is saying a man and woman marriage is the way it has been from the beginning of time. The job of religious leaders is to answer their people when they come to them with questions about morale issues.

"This statement clarifies the Catholic Church's position, and it is very clear -- here's the church doctrine, now go out and vote your conscience."

The gay and lesbian community viewed the Catholic Church's statement as a "courageous one in the face of pressure" to give the question full support.

"I appreciate the church's refusal to support Question 2," said Liz Moore, speaking on behalf of Equal Rights Nevada, the committee to defeat the initiative.

"While this is not a full endorsement of our position, it is significantly different than the stand the Catholic Church took in California earlier this year when it urged members to go knocking on doors to drum up support for passage of a similar measure in that state." The question there passed.

The gay and lesbian community and other opponents say state law already prohibits same sex marriages and that the question is a hateful initiative aimed at discriminating against those who have a different sexual orientation.

Ziser said that while members of various religious organizations have assisted with the gathering of signatures to put Question 2 on the Nov. 7 ballot and have supported its passage, "we have not been specifically going out to the church organizations and seeking their endorsements.

"But I'm sure that, statewide, priests and others have pushed the issue to let their people know what the different scriptures say."

A local spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said no official church statement is expected on the Nevada ballot question because the church's "stand is clear" in a 1995 proclamation issued by the church's First Presidency:

"(We) solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

William Stoddard, Las Vegas spokesman for the Mormon Church, said, "Our people have been encouraged to support Question 2 because its benefit directly coincides with our beliefs."

The Catholic leaders in their statement quoted from a document called "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for New Millennium" which says "As bishops, we do not seek the formation of a religious voting bloc, nor do we wish to instruct persons on how they should vote..."

"We urge all Catholics as citizens to reflect on this issue, to decide for themselves what is the best course of action and then to cast a vote as they are guided by an informed conscience," Leary and Straling said.

This question would cement the prohibition against same sex marriages into the Constitution. Supporters of the amendment say it is needed to prevent judgments from other states on gay marriages from being recognized in Nevada.

Sun reporter

Ed Koch contributed to this report. He can be reached at (702) 259-4090 or by e-mail at koch@lasvegassun.com.