Click here to contact Gov. O'Malley today and ask him to veto SB 566 and SB 597, which undermine marriage by granting marriage equivalency status to unmarried couples in certain parts of the law.

Read the Maryland bishops' 2008 statement, "Marriage in Maryland: Securing the Foundation of Family and Society." A document addressing common questions about the legal status of marriage is also available. For more resources, click here.

In marriage, a husband and a wife make a public and reciprocal commitment, assuming duties to society, to themselves, and to their children. Society and the law rightly reciprocate by bestowing on marriage a juridical status that recognizes the essential role that families play in society. The family, based on marriage, is a natural institution that is prior to the state. The law grants it exclusive privileges because it is the seedbed of future generations.

In recognition of the critical role that marriage plays in contributing to the well being of future generations and a stable society, the Church advocates for public policies that protect traditional marriage, and that promote the security of the family.

The Conference opposes legislation that would dismantle the current legal definition of marriage as existing only between a man and a woman by granting equal legal status to alternative relationships.

In September 2007, the Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the Maryland statute defining marriage as between a man and a woman, but acknowledged that the legislature may “grant and recognize for homosexual persons civil unions or the right to marry a person of the same sex.” As a result, it is anticipated that legislation will be introduced during the 2008 legislative session to promote same-sex marriage or civil unions in Maryland.

“Marriage . . . contributes to society because it models the way in which women and men live interdependently and commit, for the whole of life, to seek the good of each other. The marital union also provides the best conditions for raising children: namely, the stable, loving relationship of a mother and father present only in marriage. The state rightly recognizes this relationship as a public institution in its laws because the relationship makes a unique and essential contribution to the common good.” (Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions, USCCB, 2003)

“The state has an obligation to promote the family, which is rooted in marriage. Therefore, it can justly give married couples rights and benefits it does not extend to others. … Some benefits currently sought by persons in homosexual unions can already be obtained without regard to marital status. For example, individuals can agree to own property jointly with another, and they can generally designate anyone they choose to be a beneficiary of their will or to make health care decisions in case they become incompetent." (Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions, USCCB, 2003)