A group of American Catholic nuns have taken to task the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for remaining silent about the prevalence of anti-gay bullying. Religious leaders from a host of faith traditions have spoken out about the tragedy of anti-gay bullying and its consequences, yet for months the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has remained silent.

It's time to change that.

"More than a month has gone by since the media broke the news about a series of gay suicides," said the National Council of American Nuns. "During that time, the U.S. Catholic Bishops failed to make a single statement regarding these tragic, preventable deaths. Not one bishop's voice was raised to condemn a culture where youths are bullied for being who God created them to be and are sometimes pushed by society's judgments to attempt suicide."

Yet the Conference of Catholic Bishops has continued to advocate campaigns calling for a ban same-sex marriage.

Tell the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that they have a unique opportunity to reach American Catholics with a message that condemns bullying and violence based on sexual orientation. By remaining silent on the issue, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is missing a grand opportunity to show real moral leadership and form some common ground with LGBT activists. And that's truly a shame.