Maine's Catholic Churches Raise Money To Fight Same-Sex Marriage

As called for by Bishop Richard Malone, yesterday Catholic churches across Maine conducted a special collection to be donated to Stand For Marriage Maine's ballot referendum. Not all of Maine's Catholics agree and a few churches saw pro-gay demonstrators outside.

Not all Catholics agree with the church on this issue, and just this week over one hundred people joined a new group called Catholics for Marriage Equality. "My model is Jesus and Jesus preached and practices love and inclusion. That's what I hope our church would do," Elaine McGillicuddy said. This was not the first time Maine's Catholic Church has done a special collection to raise money to fight a controversial referendum question. It was also done to fight partial birth abortions and physician assisted suicide. Stand for Marriage campaign manager Marc Mutty said for the church, this is not a political issue -- it is a moral one. And that asking parishioners to fund this cause was something the bishop felt compelled to do. "It was crystal clear: it was his responsibility, his duty to do this," Mutty said. Not all Catholics agree, but Stand for Marriage hopes it can count on enough parishioners to use the power of prayer and the pocketbook to defeat same-sex marriage in Maine.