Despite the high profile opposition of many of our bishops, we know that Catholics as a group are firm supporters of legal recognition for same - sex unions, and are more likely than most other Christians to support full equality in civil marriage regulations. Now, it seems that the bishops' vigorous efforts to prevent marriage equality are spurring many Catholics to open disagreement in formal groups publicly supporting same-sex marriage. In Maine last year, Maine Catholics for Marriage Equality was the first such group, spurred into action by Providence Bishop fund-raising for the Prop 1 campaign to overturn marriage equality in that state. "Catholics For Equality" took that campaign to a national level earlier this year - "Equally Blessed" is another national initiative, a joint effort by New Ways Ministry, Dignity USA and others. In Minnesota, just as in Maine, the efforts of Archbishop Nienstedt to influence state elections to stall same-sex marriage have spurred another local group in support of justice for same sex couples.
