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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
WASHINGTON—Employees of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington no longer can enroll their spouses in the organization’s benefit plan under a change that responds to legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia.
“The change to our benefits package allows us to remain in compliance with District of Columbia law; adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage, defined as solely between a man and a woman; and allow us to continue our partnership with the district in serving more than 68,000 people last year in need,” a spokesman said Wednesday.
The move does not affect benefits offered by other Catholic Charities offices, which operate independently, the spokesman said. The ban also does not extend to coverage for dependent children, he added. The change does not affect coverage for any spouses already enrolled in the plan.
The Washington arm of Catholic Charities employs approximately 850 people, about 10% of whom have spousal coverage, the spokesman said.
The District of Columbia’s Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act, which expands the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, took effect Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge of it. The District of Columbia joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont in allowing same-sex couples to marry.