Bishop Richard Malone, the former Roman
Catholic bishop of Maine, on Thursday spoke out against Question 1,
the Maine referendum which seeks to legalize gay marriage in the
state.
Malone, now the head of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York, issued his statement through
the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.
“A Catholic whose conscience has been
properly formed by scripture and church teaching cannot justify a
vote for a candidate or referendum question that opposes the
teachings of the church,” he said. “[V]ote your faith on Nov.
6.”
“Any Catholic who supports a
redefinition of marriage – or so-called 'same-sex marriage' – is
unfaithful to Catholic doctrine.”
He added that the group Catholics for
Marriage Equality “does not speak for the Catholic Church, any more
than does 'Catholics for a Free Choice,' another dissident group that
promotes so-called 'abortion rights.' Faithful Catholics will give
no credence to either.”
The campaign working to approve the
referendum, Mainers United for Marriage, disagreed with Malone.
“The polls show a majority of
Catholics support the freedom to marry and still consider themselves
to be faithful Catholics,” Matt McTighe, campaign manager for the
group and a Roman Catholic, told the Bangor
Daily News. “I was brought up, like most Catholics, to
vote my conscience with my faith informing it.”
Opponents of marriage equality praised
Malone for speaking out. Carroll Conley, co-chairman of Protect
Marriage Maine, said Malone's statement “reflects the courage and
character that has made Bishop Malone a stalwart, cultural warrior in
the state for so many years.”
Also on Thursday, Protect Marriage
Maine announced that it had received a $100,000 donation from the
Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization.