Catholic leaders in England step up campaign against gay marriage with letter to churches
LONDON - The Catholic Church in England is stepping up its campaign against government plans to legalize same-sex marriage.
In a letter being read in 2,500 parish churches across the country during Sunday Mass, the church's senior archbishops argue that the change would reduce the significance of marriage.
It says Catholics have a duty to make sure "the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations."
Britain's government plans to allow everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, to have the option of a civil marriage. Prime Minister David Cameron has openly backed the plans.
Last week Keith O'Brien, the head of the Scottish Catholic Church, condemned the proposals as "madness."
