Vetoes would value traditional family

May 16, 2008

WILL GOV. MARTIN O'MALley, who is Catholic, listen to the appeals of Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, as well as from the Catholic bishops, by vetoing bills that would grant unmarried couples legal standing to make certain medical decisions for one another and establish, in law, a definition of domestic partners that would give them a status equivalent to marriage in parts of tax law ("Catholic group urges veto of marriage bills," May 10)?

I join the archbishop in expressing grave concern over these pieces of legislation, which are an insult to the work of all faith communities that prepare young couples to remain in sustained, committed marriages and to maintain stable home environments for their families.

How can we help our communities in these efforts if our government explicitly recognizes and grants benefits to same-sex or co-habitating couples who can simply sign an affidavit announcing their relationship of mutual interdependence? If signed into law, the measures would give a positive legal sanction to behavior that contradicts the understanding of marriage held by faith traditions and civil society since the beginning of civilization. I pray that Mr. O'Malley will open his heart to the beautiful teachings of the Catholic Church concerning the sacredness of marriage and squelch this bad legislation.

LORELEI MAXWELL

Towson