John C. Nienstedt, the archbishop of
St. Paul and Minneapolis, has ordered priests to get behind a
proposed gay marriage ban or remain silent, the Washington
Independent reported.
Voters in November will decide on a
constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a heterosexual
union in the state.
In a private speech to priests given
last October and leaked to the Progressive
Catholic Voice, Nienstedt said, “There ought not be open
dissension on this issue.”
“It is my expectation that all the
priests and deacons in this Archdiocese will support this venture and
cooperate with us in the important efforts that lie ahead. The
gravity of this struggle, and the radical consequences of inaction
propels me to place a solemn charge upon you all — on your
ordination day, you made a promise to promote and defend all that the
Church teaches. I call upon that promise in this effort to defend
marriage. There ought not be open dissension on this issue. If any
have personal reservations, I do not wish that they be shared
publicly. If anyone believes in conscience that he cannot cooperate,
I want him to contact me directly and I will plan to respond
personally.”
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the
Archdiocese's lobbying wing, is a member of the Minnesota for
Marriage Coalition, the largest group lobbying for the amendment's
passage.