PHOENIX — Arizona's two Catholic bishops are urging the faithful to vote to constitutionally ban gays from marrying in this state.

In a pastoral letter, Thomas Olmstead of Phoenix and Gerald Kincanas said Proposition 102 "is in alignment with our deeply held moral beliefs regarding marriage." And without a constitutional provision, the pair say that the current laws which define marriage in Arizona as solely between one man and one woman could be overturned.

Olmstead was out of the state on personal business. But Kincanas told Capitol Media Services he sees nothing improper about urging people to put the church's view on marriage into the state constitution.

"The church has always and will continue to address issues especially that are related to moral and ethical principles," he said. "We believe that marriage is a sacred relationship, that it is at the heart and core of society."

And Kincanas said it's not just an issue for Catholics: He pointed out that the Union for Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America also has issued a statement saying that Judaism "affirms marriage only between a man and woman."

"So it's not a denominational question as much as it's a societal question because marriage is at the core and heart of our society," Kincanas said.

The bishops' comments drew criticism from David Felten, minister of Fountains United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills.

"People have got this idea that they can speak for God and speak universally for all Christians," he said. And he noted it took the Catholic Church nearly 400 years to admit that Galileo was right and that the Earth is not the center of the universe.

Kincanas, however, said he sees the issue before voters in absolute terms.

"The purpose of this proposition is to assure the fact that in the state of Arizona, the institution of marriage as, from time immemorial, is a relationship between one man and one woman," he said.

And what of the mention in the Old Testament of men with multiple wives?

"The reality is there have always been people who have lived in common-law relationships or perhaps have polygamous relationships," Kincanas said. "But that doesn't necessarily change the understanding of the institution of marriage because there are other possibilities."

Felten, for his part, acknowledged Old Testament provisions forbidding men from having sex with men. But he said much of what is in Scripture should not be taken literally.

"The Bible is also clear that children who disobey their parents are to be executed," he said.

Felten said those kind of edicts put people in the position of having to decide which passages are to be obeyed. But he said it is not up to the Legislature to make that decision.

The bishops had opposed an even broader measure two years ago which would not only have constitutionally banned same-sex marriage but also barred government recognition of civil unions and prohibited public agencies from providing benefits like health insurance to the domestic partners of their employees. That measure was narrowly defeated.

Kincanas pointed out that Proposition 102 deals only with marriage.

A 1996 state law already forbids same-sex marriage. That law was upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals, a decision the state Supreme Court refused to review.

Kincanas noted, however, that courts in Massachusetts and California have ruled gays are constitutionally entitled to wed despite state statutes to the contrary.

Felten said his views are not just his own. He noted that Minerva Carcano, bishop of the United Methodist Church in Arizona, opposed the ballot measure two years ago.