Catholic Culture World News:

The bishops of the State of Washington have issued a statement urging Catholics to uphold the definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman during the upcoming marriage referendum.

At the November referendum, the state’s voters will have the opportunity to ratify or reject a new state law allowing same-sex marriage.

“If the state successfully disconnects marriage from the potential inherent to sexual union between a man and woman, the civil meaning of marriage will be lost, and the institution that results will be a genderless contract without reference to children,” the bishops said. “The foundational nature of marriage for the good and the strength of human society will be harmed beyond repair. Faithful, monogamous marriages between one man and one woman will cease to be the legally-established social standard for uniting children with their parents, even though social science has established that children do best when raised in homes with married mothers and fathers.”