Even More Churches Say No to Archbishop on Marriage Repeal

Parishioners found out Sunday that Our Lady of the Lake is one of a growing number of Washington churches refusing to join a signature-gathering effort to repeal same-sex marriage, and they reacted with a standing ovation.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencerreports that Our Lady is the sixth church in Seattle to decide against joining the archbishop's call to collect signatures for a petition that would put marriage equality back on the ballot.

"The standing ovation experienced during one of the Masses says less about me and much more about the health of this parish," said the Reverend Tim Clark, according to the P-I. "I only wished the archbishop could have experienced the sustained applause -- the 'sensus fidelium' -- of the people. He needs to listen to this 'voice.' That is my prayer."

The Reverend Michael Ryan of St. James Cathedral was the first pastor to balk, saying it would be "hurtful and seriously divisive" to go ahead with the plan from Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain.

Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Catholic, signed the bill into law. But opponents of same-sex marriage are trying to reverse it by collecting 120,577 petition signatures before June 6 so they can add a repeal question to November's ballot.