Church leader urges letter-writing drive

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LONDON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The head of the English and Welsh Catholic Church urged people write letters to members of Britain's Parliament, objecting to same-sex marriage legislation.

In a pastoral letter making the Feast of the Holy Family, the Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, said letters should be written "clearly, calmly and forcefully" to tell politicians to "resist the proposed redefining of marriage. We look to our members of Parliament to defend, not change, the bond of man and woman in marriage as the essential element of the vision of the family."

A bill that would allow same-sex marriage is under consideration by Parliament, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

The suggestion to write letters is a new phase in the church's campaign against the potential change in the law, the London newspaper said, adding about 5 million people in England and Wales are Catholic, with about a million regularly attending church.