Too Political? Minnesota Catholic Bishops Raise Marriage Issue Amid Governor's Race

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 4, 2010— -- Four weeks before voters head to the polls, Catholic bishops in Minnesota have raised an issue that has largely taken a backseat to the economy and jobs this election season, renewing calls for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

While such advocacy by religious groups is not uncommon, never before has the message come in the form of a DVD mailed to all Catholic households in the state. And, some say, never before has such a campaign appeared so political.

Because one candidate in the state's three-way race for governor, Republican Tom Emmer, opposes same-sex marriage, the church's message and its timing amount to an unambiguous endorsement, critics say.

The anonymous donation to the archdiocese that funded the production of more than 400,000 DVDs has also stoked questions about the proper role of religious institutions in the political process.

The "urgent message" from St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt is that lawmakers' recent attempts to extend civil marriage rights to gays and lesbians amount to an "untested social experiment" and a "dangerous risk" to society.

Nienstedt says putting a constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions before voters is the "only way to put the one man, one woman definition of marriage beyond the reach of the courts and politicians."

Five bills introduced during the state's 2010 legislative session would legalize gay marriage. The state's new governor would play a key role in deciding whether any bill that might pass should become law.

"He's careful not to name Emmer, but it's clear Emmer's the only one who supports a constitutional amendment," said one diocesean priest who spoke with ABC News about Nienstedt's message on condition of anonymity.

Democrat Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner both support same-sex marriage.

Emmer trails Dayton by 11 points in the most recent Minnesota Public Radio-Humphrey Institute poll.

"Had it come after Nov. 2, it would have been much less political," the priest said of the church's DVD campaign. "But they're making it a hot issue, and it hasn't been a hot issue here."

Churches and non-profit groups, which are tax exempt, are permitted to advocate on issues of public policy, but they are not allowed by law to endorse specific candidates.