The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, applauded the decision on September 3, by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana upholding Louisiana’s marriage amendment.
“The federal court rightly declared that Louisiana’s marriage laws ‘serve a central state interest of linking children to an intact family formed by their biological parents,’” Archbishop Cordileone said.
He continued, “The federal court affirmed that the voters of Louisiana who overwhelmingly chose to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman in their state constitution made a rational decision by embracing the definition of marriage ‘that has endured in history for thousands of years, and prevails in a majority of states today.’”
Archbishop Cordileone added, “Those who are arguing to redefine marriage based upon the desires and interests of adults were presented by this court with obvious questions raised by the logical consequences of their arguments to which they were unable to give an answer, including: ‘Must marriage be limited to only two people?’ Indeed, all who work to promote and defend marriage should be encouraged by this federal court decision.”
The ruling upholding Louisiana’s marriage amendment comes after numerous federal court decisions striking down state marriage laws. Those challenging the Louisiana marriage amendment are expected to appeal the decision.