Letter
Letter from Archbishop Cordileone and Archbishop Lori to Senator Mike Lee on the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act (2013)
Letter from Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Chairman, USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage and Archbishop William E. Lori, Chairman, USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty to U.S. Senator Mike Lee on the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, December 12, 2013
"As the respective chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, we write in strong support of your bill, S. 1808, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act. As you know, persons who understand marriage to be the union of one man and one woman are increasingly having their religious liberties jeopardized and even forfeited. For instance, there are efforts to remove the tax-exempt status of some organizations – including religious organizations – unless they violate their faith beliefs and moral convictions regarding human sexuality. Additionally, business owners are being told that they cannot operate a business without violating their faith beliefs and moral convictions about marriage. Sadly, some who promote marriage redefinition do not embrace the coexistence and tolerance of different ideas in a pluralistic society but wish to impose a policy of “comply or else.”
This legislation would provide significant protection for religious liberty at the federal level and would be an important first step in extending conscience protection to individuals and organizations who understand marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In a host of areas, the Act would simply prevent the federal government from discriminating against these individuals and organizations. In a climate of increasing intolerance, these protections are much needed."