PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The new Rhode Island law allowing same-sex couples to wed is a serious injustice, says the California prelate who heads the committee of U.S. bishops that promotes marriage.
Earlier, Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin said he was "profoundly disappointed" by the new law.
In a statement issued Friday, Roman Catholic Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said marriage cannot be redefined because its meaning lies in "our very nature."
"While those making great sacrifices to raise their children in less than ideal circumstances need and deserve our love and support," he said, "we cannot claim to have a just society if we do not look out for the most vulnerable among us - children. That means preserving in the law the principle that every child deserves a mother and father united in marriage."