Washington D.C., May 13, 2008 / 21:59 pm
Marriage and the family are two issues that are bringing together the Alliance for Marriage Foundation and the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders, who have announced plans for a rally at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this coming August.
The rally was announced on Wednesday by Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation (AFM), and Mario Paredes, the president of the newly created Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL).
CALL, whose executive board includes San Antonio Archbishop José Gomez and Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, will join prominent national Latino leaders from across the country, including Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, to encourage political leaders to stand up for marriage.
“The Catholic Association of Latino Leaders is committed to being a national voice on social justice issues and to impact the national dialogue and its outcome,” said Paredes. “The future of marriage and family in America is no different. We, in the Latino community, must stand and make our voices heard united as one.”
CALL, which was formed in 2007, is an organization of men and women committed to being a national voice for Catholic, Latino business and professional leaders in the United States.
In a press release announcing the rally, CALL said that, “Latino voters are some of the strongest supporters of AFM’s Marriage Protection Amendment. During Convention Week, Hispanics will rally to encourage political leaders to stand up for marriage.”
AFM also plans to urge Republican leaders at their National Convention in Minneapolis to protect marriage.
“For far too long the votes of Latinos have been taken for granted by Republicans and Democrats,” said Rev. Sam Rodriguéz, who serves as an advisory board member for AFM. “As our numbers grow, our influence is growing, and it is time for leaders of both political parties to put protecting marriage and strong family values at the center of their agenda,” he said.