Editorial

Text of the Marriage Protection Amendment (SJ 1) Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. (Introduced in Senate) SJ 1 IS 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. J. RES. 1 JOINT RESOLUTION Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States: Article SECTION 1. This article may be cited as the "Marriage Protection Amendment." SECTION 2. Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.

Marriage has been recognized as the foundation of societies around the world for thousands of years. For Catholics, marriage is a sacrament, instituted by Christ and given importance by him (remember that his first miracle was performed at a wedding feast).

Besides being a loving covenant between a man and a woman, marriage provides a solid basis for family life. Studies show that children flourish best with the care of both a father and a mother.

Marriage under pressure. However, in our society marriage has increasingly been damaged by higher rates of divorce, couples cohabiting outside of marriage, and more absentee fathers. There have been attempts to change the nature of marriage, including polygamy and same-sex unions.

Some states have enacted laws approving new versions of "marriage." Other states have passed laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman. These different policies have led to confusion and discord across the country.

Constitutional amendment. In order to promote a cohesive national policy, a Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA) has been proposed to amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure that marriage remains only between one man and one woman. The text of this amendment is published with my editorial (at right). The United States Senate is expected to vote on the MPA the week of June 5.

The Religious Coalition for Marriage - which includes leaders of the Catholic Church and many other denominations - has established a Web site at www.religiouscoalitionformarriage.org to provide information and resources on the Marriage Protection Amendment. The U.S. bishops' also have resources on marriage at their Web site, www.usccb.org

Citizen action. The Religious Coalition site includes a letter from religious leaders in defense of marriage. They encourage "all citizens of good will across the country to step forward boldly and exercise their right to work through our constitutionally established democratic procedures."

Included on the site is a postcard which can be downloaded in a PDF document. There is one postcard for each state which includes the state's two senators. The Knights of Columbus are also promoting the postcard campaign on a national level.

I urge people to contact their KC councils or the Diocese of Madison's Office of Justice and Pastoral Outreach at 608-821-3086 for more information. Please support this national effort to protect traditional marriage, along with the state referendum to be voted upon in November of this year.

Mary C. Uhler

Mailbag

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Welcome legal immigrants

To the editor:

I write in response to Fr. Peter Daly's ill-reasoned piece regarding immigration (Catholic Herald, April 20 [print edition only]). In short, we should welcome legal immigrants to this country. We should also treat humanely those illegal immigrants already within our borders. At the same time, we should be discouraging, to the maximum extent possible, illegal entry of immigrants into the United States.

First, my own familial bona fides: my paternal grandparents entered this country (legally) from Italy in 1912. My great aunt, then only a child, was refused entry at Ellis Island, only to emigrate to America as an adult (legally) after World War II.

My paternal grandfather earned a Purple Heart in battle in Europe, only six years after arriving in America. My father was an Army officer, as was one of my brothers.

Father Daly's comment that he "owes" assistance to illegal immigrants because his ancestors were also illegal immigrants is simply bizarre. He owes them assistance (as all of us do) because they're children of God. That fact, however, does not mean that those same children of God are excused from abiding by the civil laws of this land.

I am neither a xenophobe nor a Know Nothing. I am a chemist by training, a lawyer by profession, and a Catholic by birth. I am a husband and a father of five.

I am also a law-abiding citizen, descended from law-abiding immigrants. And frankly, I don't think it's too much to demand that those wishing to enter the United States do so legally.

Joseph T. Leone, Brooklyn

Appreciates contributions

To Bishop Morlino:

I write on behalf of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) to thank you and your parishioners in the Diocese of Madison for your generous contribution of $21,067.85 from your 2005 CCHD collection.

Last year, the incidence of poverty in our country rose for the fourth consecutive year, with most of the increases occurring among the working poor. Without the safety net provided by safe and adequate housing, reliable transportation, functioning schools, steady employment, and dependable health care, even more people will slip into an intolerable existence.

Through the support of parishioners in dioceses across the country, we were able to grant $9 million in 2005 to anti-poverty, social justice projects in forty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

CCHD takes the risk of investing in the dignity of the poor and low-income people. Your partnership with us helps break the cycle of poverty. So, in the name of those who will be helped by the generosity of your people, I say thank you, too.

In his World Day of Peace Message for 2006, Pope Benedict XVI challenges us with these words: "Peace thus comes to be seen in a new light: not as the mere absence of war, but as a harmonious coexistence of individual citizens within a society governed by justice, one in which the good is also achieved, to the extent possible, for each of them."

Your support of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development helps achieve "the good" for families and communities struggling in poverty. We are grateful for your leadership and the invaluable efforts of your diocesan director, Ms. Susanna D. Herro. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Timothy F. Collins, executive director
Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Washington, D.C.