As California counties this week began to implement the recent California State Supreme Court decision directing them to issue marriage certificates to same sex couples, Catholic leaders and other opponents issued statements that promoted respect for the dignity of each individual, but reaffirmed Church teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman.

"The state has a primary and fundamental obligation to protect and promote the family, which is rooted in marriage and sustained by it," said Bishop Daniel F. Walsh of Santa Rosa. "Marriage between a man and a woman preceded the existence of the state. No mayor, legislature or judge can reconstruct what marriage essentially is. Marriage as a union of a man and a woman is an institution established by God at the moment of creation. The Church upholds this truth about the nature of marriage."

Every person is a child of God, and "we must strengthen our resolve to respect the dignity of each human being as well as to protect the sanctity of marriage," said Bishop Walsh. "The Church is interested in the good of society served by marriage as intended by God."

In similar statements, Catholics for the Common Good and ProtectMarriage.com declared they "have no dispute" with same-sex couples who are getting married because of "an opportunity created by the deciding vote of a single activist judge. Our dispute is with the reasoning of activist judges that attempts to override common sense and the will of the California voters."

CCG chairman William B. May and ProtectMarriage.com chairman Ron Prentice, proponent of the November ballot measure defining marriage as a union "between a man and a woman," noted that in 2000 over 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 22 that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

"Unfortunately," said Prentice, "the California Supreme Court mistakenly decided that Proposition 22 was invalid because it was not a constitutional amendment. Fortunately, the Protection of Marriage Amendment will give voters the final say in this debate. We are confident that voters will reaffirm the traditional definition of marriage, just as they overwhelmingly did in 2000, and overturn the court's flawed opinion."