U.S. bishops promote 2nd annual March for Marriage

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- The annual March for Marriage in Washington, DC has a prominent new backer: the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

In a letter sent on April 7, Bishop Richard Malone of Buffalo and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco offered the USCCB's official support for the March. The second annual March will be on June 19.

Malone, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and Cordileone, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, encouraged all bishops to "promote the march" at "a critical time for marriage in our country."

The March, whose lead organizer is the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), was founded in 2013. In a post on Tuesday, NOM said that the 2014 March is expected to be an even bigger event than its predecessor.

Last year's March drew tens of thousands of attendees and featured over a dozen speakers addressing the benefits of marriage. This year, organizers are asking for widespread support from backers, including efforts on social media and in spreading awareness of the March.