Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, MD:

"The election results on same-sex marriage should serve as a “wake up call” for Catholics, Archbishop Lori said, demonstrating “our need to redouble our efforts to defend marriage, to preach about what marriage is, and to help people understand it as a unique relationship that does not discriminate against anyone, but is for the good of children and for the good of our society.”

Catholics can continue to work to uphold traditional marriage by strengthening their own marriages and family life, he added.

... A strong advocate of traditional marriage, Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori was among the campaign’s most vocal leaders. He was disappointed to see voters approve same-sex marriage, he said.

“I think that vote will prove not to have been for the common good of our state,” Archbishop Lori said.

The Maryland Catholic Conference, which advocates for public policy on behalf of the state’s bishops, joined the Maryland Marriage Alliance in efforts to overturn the law. Archbishop Lori praised the advocates’ work over the past year.

“So much hard work went into this, and I’m very, very grateful to everyone who worked so hard,” he said. “We will continue to witness to the values of marriage as understood as the union of one man and one woman, as the most sound, secure and loving way to bring children into the world.”