Catholics, urgent action required now to defend Marriage as a Sacrament!

The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/Home/Featured/Speak-Out-For-Marriage/Contact-your-MP

The government has published the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Billwhich, if passed, will fundamentally alter the meaning of marriage.

We urge you to ‘Speak Out for Marriage’ and defend the definition that has played a fundamental role in society for centuries.

The most effective way of defending marriage at this point is by contacting your local MP in order to make your views known.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has launched a postcard campaign entitled ‘Speak Out for Marriage’. Postcards should be available in every Catholic Church in England and Wales by Saturday 26 January.

All you have to do is write the name of your MP on the front, your name and address on the back, affix a stamp and pop it in the post.

Alternatively we encourage you to write personally to your MP. There are a few guiding points below if you need them.

It is particularly important at this time that all MPs are made aware of the strength of feeling among their own constituents on this issue. We must ‘Speak Out for Marriage’.

What if I don't know the name of my MP?

The parliament.uk website has a 'Find your MP' search page. Just enter your town, city or post code and you should be given the correct name and contact details.

Click the link to 'Find your MP'.

Please send a ‘Speak Out for Marriage’ Postcard

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has launched a postcard campaign entitled ‘Speak Out for Marriage’. Postcards should be available in every Catholic Church in England and Wales by Saturday 26 January. We urge you to send one to your MP and pass a few on to any friends or family who also wish to ‘Speak Out for Marriage’.

All you have to do is:

- Write the name of your MP on the front
- Write your name and address on the back
- Affix a stamp
- Pop the postcard in the post

Postcard to MPs 110.97 kB

Home Print Postcard 280.64 kB

Text of the postcard

Dear Member of Parliament,

As a concerned constituent I urge you to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

• Marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of the family and provides the best circumstances in which to raise the next generation.
• This is why society has recognised marriage as having an identity distinct from any other relationship, however much love or commitment may be involved; marriage is about the common good.
• No mainstream political party promised such a radical change in its last election manifesto. There is therefore no mandate for it.

Please vote against it and let me know your views.

Alternatively please write personally to your MP

Personally written letters or emails from constituents are a very effective way of influencing MPs.

Postal Address:

MP for [your town/city/constituency e.g. Gloucester]
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Again, you can find your MP’s name from local information or the 

'Find your MP' directory.

Points to make

The law helps to shape and form social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage.

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will:

• Change the meaning of marriage for everyone.
• Break the fundamental connection between marriage and child-bearing.
• Disregard the importance of male and female complementarity and creativity.
• Reduce the meaning of marriage solely to the commitment of the two people involved.
• Impact religious freedom.
• Have numerous unintended consequences, for example for schools, in the workplace, in one’s personal life, for inter-faith relations, and many other areas.

The British public, as a whole, did not seek this change. None of the mainstream political parties promised it in their last election manifestos. Nor when the government launched its consultation did it ask whether the law should be changed; instead it asked how the law should be changed.

In publishing this Bill the Government has ignored the views of over 626,000 people who signed a petition opposing the change, and the submissions of many others to the consultation. In its response to the consultation, the Government even chose to ignore many of the findings therein.

There is no mandate for this change and the government appears to be rushing the Bill through Parliament against the strongly held views of the public, and without pausing to properly think about the consequences of such a change.

This is a major constitutional change and the British public should and must be consulted. We must make our views known to our MPs and ‘Speak Out for Marriage’.

Finally

Please think and pray

Please act now

Please help preserve the meaning of marriage for future generations