Massachusetts' Roman Catholic bishops are telling parishioners that a state court decision supporting gay marriage is a "national tragedy" that could "erode even further the institution of marriage."
In a strongly worded letter to be read at Mass this weekend, the bishops also said the Supreme Judicial Court's mid-May deadline for the Legislature to rewrite marriage laws to provide benefits for gay couples is too rushed.
The bishops, among the leading opponents of the ruling, urged parishioners "to contact the governor and their state legislators to urge them to find a way to give our citizens more time to deal with this issue."
Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley and Bishops Thomas Dupre, Daniel P. Reilly and George Coleman also complained that the state high court ruling promotes "divisions in society by villainizing as bigotry the legitimate defense of thousands of years of tradition.
"Marriage is a gift of God ... it is not just one lifestyle among many," the bishops wrote in the letter, which was published in the Boston Archdiocese's newspaper, The Pilot.
Gary Buseck, executive director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, said the letter's language disappointed him.
"I don't think the court villainizes anyone. The Roman Catholic Church is being very clever to try to cast themselves as the victim here," Buseck said.
David Wilson, one of the plaintiffs in the case that led to the ruling, said the bishops are confusing civil and religious marriage. The court ruling will not require any religion to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.
State Rep. Philip Travis, who supports amending the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, said the May deadline won't change unless the court re-enters the case. The earliest such an amendment could go to voters is November 2006.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Mitt Romney, who also supports the proposed amendment, declined comment on Saturday.