I like Fr Reese's point that bishops should not be spending millions of dollars that are not theirs fighting same-sex marriage.

Here in Canada the bishops have tacitly (and in my view wisely) accepted that same-sex civil marriage is now settled law, in return for satisfactory assurances that governments will respect the autonomy of the churches. There is a tacit recognition on both sides that separation of church and state is a two-way, not a one-way street. Call it a Canadian compromise.

As public officials, civil marriage commissioners and registrars (unlike clergy) act only for the state. It is therefore logical for the state to require them, as a condition of employment, to accommodate all couples who are legally free to marry and have met the statutory requirements. A court in Manitoba has recently ruled on this point.