Archbishop's memo draws fire from gay rights groups

Miami (AP) — Thousands of employees in Miami's Catholic Archdiocese got a memo from Archbishop Thomas Wenski after judges in Florida lifted the state's ban on same-sex marriage.

The Miami Heraldreports the note sent Tuesday quoted from the employee handbook and included a statement from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterating opposition to same-sex marriage.

Gay rights and civil-rights groups across the country questioned the archbishop's memo. Some wondered if it put church workers in the position of wondering whether they were risking their jobs to attend same-sex wedding celebrations.

The Miami archdiocese has 8,300 employees in Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Wenski told the newspaper the policy applies to all employees because they agree not to "engage in actions that otherwise contradict the mission" of the church.

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Information from: The Miami Herald, Miami, FL.

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The Gayly – January 9, 2015 @ 9:50am