The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Maine is thanking the state's voters for repealing the state's gay marriage law. In a statement issued early this morning, Bishop Richard Malone said he was grateful to Mainers for “protecting and reaffirming their support for marriage as it has been understood for millennia by civilizations and religions around the world.”
Malone said the church respects and accepts gay people, but he says it “remains devoted to preserving and strengthening the precious gift of marriage.”
But the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, Stephen Lane, said “many faithful Episcopalians are deeply grieved at this decision.”
In a statement issued this morning, Lane said, “I join in their grief that the right of same gender couples to enter into a lifelong, monogamous marriage has been denied.” Lane acknowledged that Episcopalians were divided on the issue and vowed to “continue the conversation about these issues.”
The Christian Civic League of Maine, on the other hand, is hailing the vote, but warning that “our society is not out of danger yet.” In a statement, spokesman Mike Hein says victory won’t be “realized until the public returns to an awareness that homosexuality is a sin.”
Opponents of Question One were disheartened by the repeal. The New England-based group Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders said gay marriage supporters “are experiencing a world of hurt and pain. Same-sex couples have been denied full equality and full citizenship in their state. They have been told to remain outside. They must explain this vote to their children. At some point soon, we will all have to pick ourselves up and fight again.”
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