<p>&nbsp;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><img width=216 height=39 align=right alt= src=/dignityu/sites/default/files/images/dig-wash.gif /><strong>Washington D.C. October 17 2006</strong>&nbsp;&mdash;<a target=_blank style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; href=http://www.dignitywashington.org/>Dignity/Washington</a>&nbsp;issued an open letter&nbsp;to Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington and Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond that accuses the bishops of hurting misleading and creating division among their church members by their recent pastoral letter against the proposed Virginia constitutional amendment to ban same gender marriages.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;Shame on you!&quot; the Dignity/Washington letter begins. &quot;Your recent letter is not as Christ teaches nor we believe as Christ intends for pastors.&quot; The letter continues &quot;We offer an opposing gospel message on this issue and issue a word of prophecy to you in your role as our bishops.&quot;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >The bishops' pastoral letter calls on Catholic citizens to inform themselves on the issue but the Dignity/Washington letter highlights that the proposed amendment prohibits benefits for all unmarried couples gay and heterosexual alike. The Dignity/Washington letter inventories the increasing list of organizations and media outlets that oppose the legislation including the NAACP the League of Women Voters the VA Association of Social Workers The<em>&nbsp;Washington Post</em>&nbsp;the<em>&nbsp;Virginian Pilot</em>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<em>Roanoke Times.</em></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;We are confident that fair minded Catholics in Virginia will follow the moral values of love and justice taught by our Catholic faith and will vote &quot;NO&quot; on Ballot Question No. 1 on November 7&quot; the Dignity/Washington letter concludes.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >The full text of the Dignity/Washington letter is available from Dignity/Washington. For the position of the Catholic bishops on this issue see&nbsp;<a target=_blank style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; href=http://www.vacatholic.org/>http://www.vacatholic.org</a></p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><em><a target=_blank style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; href=http://www.dignitywashington.org/>Dignity/Washington</a>&nbsp;is a D.C. Metro Area Chapter of the national organization Dignity/USA that serves gay lesbian bisexual and transgender Catholics and their families and friends. For further information contact Dignity/Washington at 202-546-2235 or&nbsp;<a style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; href=mailto:dignity@dignitywashington.org>dignity@dignitywashington.org</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>