We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts, as pastors and teachers, are compelled to speak in support of marriage in light of a recent advertising campaign promoting adultery in the Commonwealth. The ads encourage the use of an online dating service for married persons contemplating adulterous relationships.  This wrongful enterprise threatens not only the oldest and most foundational of human institutions but also the common good of all.

Marriage requires honesty, loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, respect, and commitment.  Marriage is a vocation that benefits all of society by building and strengthening human relationships within the family home and beyond with relatives, neighbors and one’s community.  Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society.  A healthy committed marriage helps to insure the well-being of children, create social stability and improve the quality of life for all citizens.

The activity promoted by this advertising effort will not benefit families and the ads send the wrong message to our young.  The ad campaign will further erode the unique and important role that marriage has in contributing to the common good.  Where marriage is weakened the social cost is enormous.  We commend those media outlets that have refused this advertising and ask that other media outlets do the same.

We honor and support those couples who have committed themselves to each other in the vocation of marriage and offer prayers that they remain strong in the face of increasing social pressures to abandon their promise of fidelity.