Seattle’s largest Catholic church won’t join anti-gay marriage signature drive

Seattle’s largest Catholic church will not be taking part
in signature-gathering to stop same-sex marriage, despite
a recent call by Western Washington’s Catholic leaders.

Father Michael Ryan, head of St. James Cathedral,
tells parishioners in a letter that gathering signatures
for Referendum 74 would “prove hurtful and seriously
divisive in our community.”

A recent letter from Archbishop J. Peter
Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo to the over
200 plus churches in the Archdiocese approved and
encouraged the gathering of signatures in opposition of the
recently enacted same-sex marriage measure.

But Father Ryan says in his letter that the leaders left
it up to each pastor to decide whether to participate.

“While the Archbishop has given his support to the effort,
he has wisely left it up to each pastor to decide whether
to allow the collection of signatures in his own parish,”
writes Ryan.

Opponents of marriage equality need over 120,000
signatures by June 6 to put the measure on the ballot,
or same sex marriage becomes legal in the state.