Catholic Church

Domestic partnership will be on the agenda in January’s 30-day legislative session, according to Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican. It won’t, however, be discussed during the upcoming special session, Terrell emphasized in his blog.

Whether New Mexico’s Catholic Church is on the side of Democrats or Republicans when it comes to issues like abortion, homosexuality and capital punishment, is beside the point. The issue isn’t ideology; it’s law: Is the church or is it not violating the constitutional separation of church and state?

Most analysts are pointing to the influence of religion when explaining the defeat of the domestic partnership bill by the state Senate. But a breakdown of the vote shows a clear regional division — specifically, the split among rural and urban Democrats in the New Mexico Senate.

Ten New Mexico Democrats sided with Republican Senators amid mounting opposition from religious groups and a confluence of factors that worked against the bill’s passage.

Archdiocese of Santa Fe officials and parishioners have turned up the pressure on the measure this year, saying that they fear domestic partnerships will clear a path for legalizing gay marriage. But not all Catholics share that fear.