L.A. Cardinal Mahony again rejects same-sex marriage

California will issue the first licenses to gay couples today. Mahony and other Roman Catholic bishops sign a statement emphasizing that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

As California prepared for the beginning of same-sex marriages later today, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and other local bishops reaffirmed their belief that marriage should only be the joining of a man and a woman.

Marriage "has a unique place in God's creation, joining a man and a woman in a committed relationship in order to nurture and support the new life for which marriage is intended," said the bishops in a statement released today. "The meaning of marriage is deeply rooted in history and culture, and has been shaped considerably by Christian tradition. Its meaning is given, not constructed."