Passages from the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court ruling on gay marriage that are being used at weddings

By Globe Staff

Here are the passages from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s landmark 2003 ruling on gay marriage that are being used at some weddings.

Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society. For those who choose to marry, and for their children, marriage provides an abundance of legal, financial, and social benefits. In return it imposes weighty legal, financial, and social obligations. …

Without question, civil marriage enhances the “welfare of the community.” It is a “social institution of the highest importance.”...

Marriage also bestows enormous private and social advantages on those who choose to marry. Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family. ... Because it fulfils yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, civil marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life’s momentous acts of self-definition.

Todd Feathers can be reached at todd.feathers@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ToddFeathers.