Twin Cities Roman Catholic Archbishop John Nienstedt and several other faith leaders gathered Tuesday on the steps of the state Capitol to encourage Minnesota voters to support the proposed amendment on the November ballot that would limit marriage to only between a man and a woman.
"I ask all Minnesotans to join us to vote yes on November 6th," Nienstedt said in a rare public declaration on the issue. "This is wonderful sight, to see clergy from ... so many different churches, come together and show their support for our basic understanding of marriage as a union between one man and one woman."
After his brief statement, other Christian leaders from area evangelical churches spoke at the news conference and also urged voters to support the idea of "traditional marriage" being solely between a man and woman because it's what the Bible endorses.
"This gift of marriage is given to us by God to create a loving and secure bond between husband and wife, where they can share the deepest emotions and the most joyful pleasures of physical intimacy," said Carl Nelson, president of Transform Minnesota, a network of nearly 160 evangelical churches in Minnesota.
"Marriage bonds a mother and father to any children that may be born to their union and creates a stable and loving family. This is the essential public purpose of marriage and the reason why we support the marriage amendment."
Nienstedt, who was among about 40 clergy at the podium, declined to take questions from reporters and left immediately after the event. The archbishop has been one of the most active religious leaders backing the marriage amendment. So far this year, Catholic leadership has directed close to $500,000 in support of the amendment.
While conservative Catholics have thrown their support behind the measure, the more liberal-minded have rallied against it and believe Catholic bishops should instead be more focused on fighting issues such as poverty and homelessness.
Faith leaders in Minnesota who have spoken against the amendment include leaders from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which has nearly 800,000 members in the state, as well as those from other mainline Protestant faiths and a group of Jewish rabbis.
