Posted on March 29th, 2010 by Anne Underwood
[Portland, Maine] Catholics for Marriage Equality (C4ME) received The Faith In Action Award at Equality Maine's 26th Annual Award Dinner Saturday night March 27. Twenty-eight C4ME Maine participants attended the sold-out event.
Accepting the award on behalf of the group, Anne Underwood quoted Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain whose distinction between optimism and hope elucidates C4ME's call: "Optimism is the belief that the world is changing for the better; hope is the belief that together we can make the world better. Optimism is a passive virtue; hope is an active one."
Underwood noted that the past week's revelation that the bishop revoked Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Charities funds from Homeless for Justice, a consumer-run advocacy program administered by Preble Street Resource Center because Preble Street supported marriage equality "was a bad week for optimism, but a great occasion to demonstrate hope." She announced that in the three days since C4ME led the call for replacement of the approximately $50,000 in current and anticipated bishop-controlled Catholic funds, over $12,000 had been raised.
Underwood further announced, to a standing ovation that, "a long-time, faithful friend of the community who from his Jewish tradition joins C4ME's efforts, Donald Susman, has contributed $17,000 to cover the immediate program deficit through June." She cautioned: "Hope-filled people: we still have $33,000 to raise for the coming program year."
Catholics for Marriage Equality is now a national as well as Maine incorporated entity with 501(c)(4) status pending. Donations to C4ME and/or to Homeless Voices for Justice can be made at www.catholicsformarriageequality.net The site contains a sign-on Declaration of Conscience in support of civil marriage for same-sex couples throughout the United States. Faithful Roman Catholics are encouraged to sign to show their affirmation of God's all-encompassing, dynamic and compassionate love for all individuals and the families they create.
The C4ME purpose is: (1) to give hope to those who are hurt and angry by our bishops' determination to block civil marriage for same-sex couples and (2) to disseminate truthful information respectfully stating why civil marriage is a matter of civil rights and social justice that Catholics can support as a matter of informed conscience and political opinion.
