10/22/2012

Washington– Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin is calling on newly appointed San Francisco archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to stop advocating for anti-LGBT discrimination, and instead focus more on the core social teachings of the Catholic Church. Cordileone is one of the leading architects of California’s Proposition 8, which bans loving and committed same-sex couples from marrying. Cordileone galvanized anti-LGBT efforts and under his guidance the Catholic Church poured immense resources and thousands of dollars into ensuring Prop 8’s passage.

“As the four state  marriage campaigns intensify in these last weeks, some leaders in the Catholic Church are pushing aside the Golden Rule “do unto others…,” in order to spend millions of parishioner dollars on hateful political campaigns,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Church leaders like Archbishop Cordileone continue to wage this hateful campaign despite the fact that nearly 60 percent of fair-minded Catholics support marriage equality.  And when you make clear that we’re talking about civil marriage – not what the Church has to recognize – support jumps to more than 70 percent.”

“Regardless, some in the hierarchy have chosen to spend these millions on discrimination while soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and domestic violence programs are shuttered across the country from a lack of financial support,” added Griffin. “Instead of the divisive fights of the past, the Church can and should refocus on these critical needs in our communities – needs that are at the core of Catholic social tradition. I urge Archbishop Cordileone in San Francisco to do just that."

Cordileone is not the only Church leader speaking out against marriage equality with increasing frequency. In New Jersey, Archbishop John J. Myers has called on supporters of marriage equality to abstain from receiving Communion. And in Minneapolis-St. Paul, parishioners have walked out of services as pastors read letters against marriage equality from Archbishop John C. Nienstedt.

HRC recently released a report that found the Roman Catholic Church and its ally, the so-called National Organization for Marriage, are responsible for nearly 60 percent of funding for all anti-marriage equality efforts in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. In Minnesota alone, the Church is funding more than 50 percent of anti-marriage equality efforts, and dioceses from across the country have contributed parishioner dollars to support writing discrimination against LGBT people into the state constitution.

Learn more about the Roman Catholic Church’s unprecedented commitment to fighting marriage equality at www.hrc.org/catholicreport.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.