Bishop Tobin urges defeat of civil unions legislation in Rhode Island

May 19, 2011

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence has called upon Rhode Island lawmakers to reject legislation that would grant legal recognition to same-sex civil unions.

“The civil unions legislation itself is objectionable since it serves as a gateway to same-sex marriage, thus guaranteeing that this divisive debate will continue in our State well into the future,” he said in a May 18 statement. “The civil unions legislation under consideration has no protection for freedom of conscience or religious practice for individuals or institutions who oppose this challenge to traditional moral values.”

“Further, it is important to note that the legislation itself is discriminatory since it provides certain legal rights only to those in same-sex relationships that mimic marriage while ignoring the needs of many other Rhode Islanders,” he added.

 

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Further information:

• Statement of Bishop Tobin on Civil Unions Legislation (Diocese of Providence)
• RI civil union compromise wins little support (AP)
• Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2003)