More than 400,000 DVDs are being mailed to the homes of Minnesota Catholics today, courtesy of Catholic bishops in the state who want to stop the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in its tracks. The 18-minute DVD includes an appearance from St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt in which he says it is time for Minnesotans, not the "ruling elite" of legislators and judges, to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. 31 states have passed such an amendment. "It is the people themselves and not politicians or judges who should make this decision," Nienstedt says on the DVD. "This is the only way to put the one man, one woman definition of marriage beyond the reach of the courts and politicians." Gay advocates who have worked to change the Catholic Church's stand on same-sex marriage said that coming 6 weeks before the November general election, the DVD distribution is aimed squarely at voters. "It's an effort to have Catholics vote the way the bishops want them to vote, but by and large Catholic voters are well-educated and they are independent-minded," said the president of Dignity Twin Cities. The group for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people works to change what it calls the "antiquated sexual theology" of the church. "We would like to talk to the archbishop about it, but he won't talk to us," he said. The executive coordinator of the Twin Cities-based Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, said that because gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Horner (I) support same-sex marriage, the chances are great that Minnesota could have a governor who supports what he calls "marriage equality." He called the DVD "almost a last-ditch effort to try and influence Catholics to turn the election to ensure that doesn't happen."
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