Defending marriage protects children and families: Archbishop Chaput

Denver, Colo., Feb 23, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput urged people to wake up, organize and act in order to defend the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman for the sake of raising a family.

“Our goal in defending marriage is to defend children and families, … [and] to ensure that we have a healthy future as a people,” said the archbishop of Denver at the "Stand Up for Marriage" rally Feb. 20 on the west steps of the state capitol.

“The Church; nor any individual or couple; nor any court or civil authority, has the right or the power to change its definition,” he said.

The morning rally was organized by State Rep. Kevin Lundberg, who, along with fellow Republican Sen. Steve Johnson, introduced a resolution in the Statehouse in support of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which defends the traditional definition of marriage.

Lundberg said the rally was organized to give everyday Coloradans the chance to stand up and be heard on this issue.

"The courts have already set in motion the legal logic that will redefine the family," Lundberg said. "Our only option is to clearly establish the true meaning of marriage in the U.S. Constitution.”

The archbishop said the challenges to the natural meaning of marriage are “very real, very damaging, and our children and families will pay a very costly price as a result.

“Stable family life flows from the love of one man and one woman in marriage. If we undermine this understanding of marriage, we undermine the family,” he continued. “And in doing that, we harm ourselves and our children in ways we can't fully imagine.”