The clergy say the ruling will only harm children.

BOSTON (AP) – The state’s four Roman Catholic bishops took their fight against same-sex marriage directly to parishioners on Friday, announcing a direct-mail campaign that will target nearly a million Massachusetts families.

Frustrated by what they say is a public misperception about their opposition to gay marriage, the bishops are sending a four-page flier to Catholic households across the state in collaboration with the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, the church’s political advocacy arm.

In November, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to bar gay couples from civil marriage. At a news conference Friday, Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley said the high court ruling “ratifies a trend that will only harm children.”

O’Malley said gay marriage will have the same harmful effects on the traditional family as the widespread acceptance of divorce and couples living together.

“We see our position as defending what is good for society,” O’Malley said. “We feel that a redefinition of marriage in the long run is going to be harmful.”

O’Malley was joined at the news conference by Bishop Daniel Reilly of Worcester, Bishop Thomas Dupre of Springfield and Bishop George Coleman of Fall River.

Dupre called the SJC ruling “a radical court decision” that has been used by proponents of gay marriage as a “means of coercing the public.”

Dupre and the other bishops said that they, and other Catholic leaders, have been unfairly portrayed in the media as being bigots for opposing gay marriage.

“What we are doing is upholding the tradition of marriage, which has pretty much existed everywhere in the world since the beginning of civilization,” he said.

Gerald D’Avolio, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, said the group wants to appeal directly to Catholics in its push for the constitutional amendment.

“We felt that this was the best way to reach as many of them as possible, to educate them,” he said.

The Massachusetts Catholic Conference began mailing the fliers Friday.

The flier gives Catholics three options for lobbying for the constitutional amendment: visiting legislators personally; calling them on the phone; and writing them a letter or e-mail.

The first vote by the Legislature on the amendment is expected Feb. 11.

The Massachusetts Catholic Conference is also urging people to attend three massive rallies planned for Jan. 25 in Fall River, Springfield and Worcester “to protect marriage as the union between one man and one woman,” according to the group’s Web site.

O’Malley has previously spoken out publicly on gay marriage, urging a gathering of 600 priests last month to encourage parishioners to contact state lawmakers. Last week, he encouraged a gathering of Catholic lawyers and judges to oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage, saying the institution of marriage and the family are under assault.

Hillary and Julie Goodridge, one of seven gay couples that sued the state seeking the right to marry, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

A spokesman for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which argued their cases, declined to comment until the group had the chance to review the flier.

The SJC ruling gave the Legislature until May to rewrite the state’s marriage laws to provide benefits for gay couples.

Since then, the debate has shifted to the state Legislature. If approved by the Legislature in two consecutive sessions, the amendment could appear on a ballot for voter consideration, but no sooner than November 2006. In the meantime, the SJC’s ruling is scheduled to take effect in May.

The Legislature is also considering a civil unions bill – similar to a law passed in Vermont – that would give gay couples the benefits of marriage without the title. The state Senate has asked the high court whether the civil unions bill would meet constitutional muster.