NEWS Massachusetts bishops don't support same-sex benefits October 31, 2003 BOSTON — Roman Catholic bishops in the state of Massachusetts reaffirmed their opposition to gay marriage and benefits for same-sex couples Thursday, saying the media misinterpreted comments Worcester Bishop Daniel P. Reilly made at a legislative hearing on a gay marriage bill. Bishops from the state's four dioceses sent a letter - bearing the title "Don't Believe the Headlines" - to state legislators and a story was published in The Pilot, the Boston Archdiocese's newspaper, reiterating the church leaders' anti-gay marriage and anti-benefits position. Newspapers and TV stations from across the state, including The Associated Press, carried stories last week on Reilly's testimony before a legislative hearing on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. During and after the hearing, Reilly said the church would "join in the discussion" of providing certain benefits to gay couples, although it remains opposed to gay marriage. "If the goal is to look at individual benefits and determine who should be eligible beyond spouses, then we will join the discussion," Reilly said at the time. Reilly later told reporters that the gay-marriage bill now under consideration by the Legislature is an easy - but harmful - solution to a problem that could be solved through simply extending certain benefits, such as hospital visitation, bereavements rights and health insurance, to gay couples. "There should be a way for the state to provide the benefits they have a right to, like other citizens," Reilly said. "But just to put the title of marriage on it, I think that's a wrong way to go." In the letter sent by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference to legislators on Thursday, church leaders said: "Contrary to the headlines, the Roman Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts upheld church teaching on marriage at last week's State House hearing in Boston, and did not announce a change in their opposition to domestic partnership legislation. "Domestic partnership bills would recognize homosexual relationships for the purpose of extending various socioeconomic benefits," said the letter. "The church opposes this recognition. Nothing in Bishop Reilly's statements contradicted or changed this position." The Rev. Christopher Coyne, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese and newly installed Archbishop Sean O'Malley, said his office took many calls from parishioners concerned that the church had changed its position. Coyne said the decision to issue Thursday's statement came from the bishops, and that there was no contact with the Vatican about the issue. Daniel Avila, a lobbyist for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, told The Boston Globe following Reilly's testimony: "As the bishop said today, we can join the discussion if a bill does not equate a partner as a spouse. How it is accomplished is crucial." But the bishops' letter Thursday said Reilly was referring only to the "civil rights of individuals." "When individuals get together, however, and ask for benefits by virtue of a particular relationship, the issue moves beyond individual rights," they wrote. "Not all relationships deserve public endorsement and not all claims by individuals seeking recognition of their relationships rise to the level of a civil right. "The marital relationship between a man and a woman carries special advantages to society, and thus spouses have a special claim to public recognition and support." –Sapa-AP Related stories Gay Washington Methodist minister likely to face church trial Ruling party wants to legalise gay unions Frail pope meets Anglican Archbishop over gays Catholic liberals criticise Australian cardinal's appointmentt Oz Anglicans want gay-friendly US liberals expelled