Catholics have been encouraged to write to their Federal MPs in support of traditional marriage, in response to a recent Federal Parliament motion that asked members to gauge constituents’ views on how to achieve equal treatment for same sex couples.
Parishioners have been invited to sign a petition, in a campaign backed by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, which requests their local Federal MP to “protect the unique institution of marriage as traditionally understood and actually lived as the complementary love between a man and a woman.”
This is a direct challenge to the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman and calls for an urgent response from the Catholic community.
Petition forms were sent to all parishes in the Brisbane Archdiocese this week by Archbishop John Bathersby, reflecting the wishes of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference at their recent plenary meeting.
The petitions need to be returned to your Federal Member of Parliament at their local electorate office preferably by Monday, December 20.
If you have missed out on obtaining a copy of the petition locally please email communications@bne.catholic.net.au to receive it electronically.
Released by the Catholic Communications Office – Brisbane
Dec 10, 2010