By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
PORTLAND, Maine, September 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland will be asking its parishes to take a special second collection this weekend (Sept. 12 – 13) to contribute to the campaign to reverse the same-sex “marriage” law passed by the state Legislature, according to an AP report.
Money raised in the special collection will go to support the efforts of the Stand for Marriage Maine coalition, which is leading the campaign to prevent the homosexual “marriage” bill from becoming law by means of a statewide referendum on the November ballot.
The communications director of the Diocese of Portland, Sue Bernard, was not available for comment on this weekend's special collection by press time.
Last week, LifeSiteNews.com reported that Stand for Marriage Maine had collected and submitted for certification over 100,000 signatures, well over the required 55,087 validated signatures needed to bring the referendum to a vote. This forced Secretary of State Matt Dunlap to effect a stay on the proposed law until voters make the final decision at the polls on November 3rd.
Stand for Marriage Maine campaign chairman Marc Mutty explained that Maine's law provides for a People's Veto when politicians pass a law over the objection of the people. The issue will appear as Question 1 on the November ballot.
“More than 100,000 Mainers signed petitions to do what the legislature and Governor did not: allow the people of Maine to participate in the decision of legalizing homosexual marriage,” Mutty said. “Preserving the definition of marriage as between a man and woman is far too important an issue to be left solely in the hands of elected officials, without the input, consent or, perhaps, even knowledge of Mainers.”
Maine Jeremiah Project director Bob Emrich expressed his thanks to the more than 1,000 volunteers who circulated petitions statewide and the registered Maine voters who signed them.
“The value of their work is made plain today,” said Emrich. “It means the issue of homosexual marriage and its consequences has been wrested from the hands of politicians and placed in the hands of the voters. We are confident that Mainers will support Question 1 and restore traditional marriage like thirty other states have done before us.”
Marc Mutty cautioned that the work is not over, but was confident in the final outcome of the vote.
“Stand for Marriage Maine will make sure LD 1020 (the bill legalizing homosexual 'marriage') gets the full public hearing it merits, in the form of Question 1,” said Mutty. “That is, at a minimum, what legislators who voted for this – and Governor Baldacci, who signed it – should have but did not do.”
Information on the November 3rd referendum is available on the Stand for Marriage Maine website.
See previous LSN coverage:
Voter Referenda on Same-Sex “Marriage” on Nov. Ballot in Washington and Maine
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09090304.html
Maine Senate Passes Same-Sex “Marriage” Bill
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050401.html