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The Catholic church has warned it will stop joint aid projects with Washington's authorities if the city passes a proposed law to legalize gay marriage.
The US capital's Catholic authorities had asked to be exempted from part of a proposed same-sex marriage law that would also ban discrimination against gay men and lesbians.
In a statement, the city's archdiocese said the rules "could prevent social service providers such as Catholic Charities from continuing their long-term partnerships with the District government to provide critical social services for thousands of the city's most vulnerable residents."
Programs at risk include adoption and foster care services and could affect 68,000 people who use the services each year, the church said.
"Religious organizations and individuals are at risk of legal action for refusing to promote and support same-sex marriages in a host of settings where it would compromise their religious beliefs."
The bill is expected to be voted on next month.
