A Statement of the Catholic Bishops of Alberta

Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, faithful in love and open to the gift of life. Marriage and the family are the foundation of society, through which children are brought into this world and nurtured as they grow to adulthood. The family is a more fundamental social institution than the state, and the strength of the family is vital for the wellbeing of our whole society.

Catholics hold marriage to be a sacrament, a sacred covenant in which husband and wife express their mutual love, and join with God in the creation of a new human person, destined for eternal life. The Catholic Church celebrates this great sacrament, and is committed to the strengthening of the family.

It is the right and responsibility of all Catholics, and of all citizens who are troubled by the proposal to reinvent the institution of marriage, to enter into the forthcoming debate and, with clarity and charity, to make their voices heard by our political leaders. We urge them to do so.