SPRINGFIELD — The Catholic Conference of Illinois is urging Catholics and all concerned citizens of Illinois to contact their state representatives and express opposition to a bill that would establish civil unions in state law for same-sex couples.

Passage of that law is all but certain to result in the legal redefinition of marriage to include homosexual couples, according to the Catholic bishops of Illinois.

The six Illinois bishops — including Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, of Peoria — issued a letter on May 27 calling on Illinois State Representatives to oppose Senate Bill 1716, dubbed by its sponsors “The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.”

“There can be no doubt that in the eyes of the law, the two relationships, marriage and civil union, will be the same,” the bishops wrote. “Only the names will be different, and if the course of events in other states offers any guide, the courts will quickly recognize there is no difference in the law and mandate the term ‘marriage.'”

Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Iowa and New Hampshire. It was briefly legal in California last year until the state’s constitution was amended to reverse a controversial State Supreme Court ruling. New York’s bishops also spoke out June 3 against a bill pending in that state’s senate that would legalize gay marriage.

It was thought likely that SB 1716 would be called for a vote by the end of May, but instead the deadline for final action was extended until Nov. 30.

“The bill’s sponsor perceived that he did not have sufficient votes to pass it, or even to come close to passing it, so he did not call it for a vote,” said Bob Gilligan, executive director of CCI, the public policy arm of Illinois’ Catholic bishops.

SB 1716’s sponsor in the Illinois House is Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat representing the 13th District, and the only openly homosexual member of the Illinois General Assembly. The Senate sponsor is Sen. Dave Koehler of Peoria, also a Democrat.

Nevertheless, Catholics should not put off informing their state legislators of their opposition to SB 1716.

“We strongly urge people, if they haven’t already done so, to continue to make known their concerns to their elected representatives,” said Gilligan.