CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago's Cardinal Francis George is urging parishioners to let state lawmakers know they oppose gay marriage.

George's letter to priests in the Roman Catholic archdiocese comes as Illinois legislators are poised to consider a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. State Sen. Heather Steans and state Rep. Greg Harris could introduce the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act to legalize same-sex marriage as early as this week.

George wrote that allowing gay couples to marry would be "acting against the common good of society."