BOSTON -- There were attacks Friday against the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from the states four Catholic bishops.

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David Boeri Reports On Gay Marriage

NewsCenter 5's David Boeri reported that the morality of same sex marriage was at issue.

Entering their first major political battle since the crisis of sexual abuse within the church, the bishops took a strong stand on the sexual morality of same sex marriages and called on Catholics and Catholic elected officials to oppose same sex marriage, NewsCenter 5's David Boeri reported.

"Now supporters of redefining marriage have a radical court decision to use as a means of coercing the public," Bishop Thomas Dupre said.

Through their lobbying arm, the bishops are sending out 1 million bulletins to parishioners state their opposition to the Supreme Judicial Court's ruling upheld the right of same sex couples to marry and calling on Catholics to put more pressure on their elected officials.

Less than one year after becoming archbishop of Boston in the wake of scandal and questions of the bishops moral authority, Archbishop Sean O'Malley defended his call to action.

"I'm sorry if this is divisive, but I see that our obligation is to stand up for marriage, for families and I realize that this is a difficult time. That is why we try to articulate that we don’t see this as an act of bigotry, we see this as a love for family life," O' Malley said.

The bishops attacked the SJC ruling as out of sync with popular opinion and called for massive political support for an amendment to the state's constitution, which would declare marriage as the exclusive right of heterosexual couples.

"The stakes are too high, and we will have to answer to God for anything we fail to do," Bishop George Coleman said.

Afterward, a spokesman for the archdiocese said Catholic elected officials have a moral obligation as Catholics to support the constitutional amendment. In addition, the bishops have sent parish priests material expecting them to urge parishioners into the fight from the pulpit. A lot of throw power into the battle, and in the wake of the sexual abuse crisis, one priest in the archdiocese said this is going to backfire.