CBNNews.com - Catholics in Connecticut are rallying against a state bill that would change the structure of their church.
The legislation would force the church's financial decisions in the hands of it's members.
Members would be required to form a 13 person board that would then vote on all decisions and the archbishop would be a non-voting member of this board.
This bill is raising concerns across all religions about the role government plays in organizing the church.
Republican State Senator John Kissel, who helped organize the gathering, spoke with CBN News.
"It's absolutely unconstitutional, it's absolutely treading on freedom of religion. Whenever any state legislator or federal official decides they have the power to present a way for a religous establishment to conduct its business that is a treat to everyone's freedom of religion," he said.
Kissel also said this concern reaches many faiths.
"Even though this proposal is directed at the Roman Catholic church, this could happen to protestants, this could happen to muslims, jews. People of all different kinds of faith. Any attack on freedom of religion is an attack on all our religions and have to fight back," he added.
Because of the backlash, the state has announced to "table" the bill for the rest of this session.
But Kissel says this doesn't mean the bill is actually dead and could be brought up later.