A legislative alert has gone out from the New Jersey Catholic Conference regarding an upcoming hearing of the N.J. Senate Judiciary Committee on Bill S-1, which would establish same-sex “marriage” in New Jersey.

Scheduled for Jan. 24, the hearing will focus on the bill formally titled “Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act,” which would erase New Jersey’s civil unions and replace them with same-sex “marriage.” The bill is also moving through the State Assembly as A-1.

Patrick Brannigan, NJCC executive director, is expected to offer testimony at the hearing on behalf of the state’s Catholic bishops.  The NJCC serves as the public policy arm of the bishops. 

The N.J. bishops have spoken out clearly and fully on the matter of same-sex “marriage,” most recently in August, 2009, with their statement “The Call to Marriage is Woven Deeply into the Human Spirit.”  That statement is available on the NJCC website. 

If released from committee, the bill could be placed for a vote before the full Legislature in short order, according to Brannigan.  The alert states, “Action is needed NOW to protect marriage as we have always known it – the union of one man and one woman.”

It asks that members of the Catholic community contact their state legislators without delay to oppose Bill S-1/A-1.  Further information on how to do that is available on the NJCC’s website.

For further information, to download the bishops’ statement, or for an electronic program to contact your legislators, go to: njcathconf.com.