Vatican backs French bishops on anti-gay marriage stance
The French Catholic Church is right to defend traditional family values, a top bishop told Vatican Radio yesterday, a day after rights groups criticised a prayer focused on families and children as homophobic.
The prayer, read out in French churches to mark the Assumption holiday, said children should “fully benefit from the love of a father and mother”, underscoring the Church’s opposition to a commitment by French President Francois Hollande to allow gay couples to marry and adopt children.
“French bishops are right to insist that children ‘grow up with a father and a mother’,” Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, head of the Vatican’s families committee, told Vatican Radio.
“No one wants to deny people their individual rights, absolutely not.
“But marriage is something else, and family is born of marriage.
“I believe that preserving this network which is cultural – and for us also religious – is a real challenge that we have to take up in every corner of our planet.”
Bishop Paglia blamed the pursuit of individual rights on a “cultural trend that idolises the rights of the individual”.
“When you start destroying the ‘we’ that is found in the family, you question the structure of society as a whole,” he said.
In Italy, Bishop Paglia said strong family links and financial support from parents had saved young people affected by the economic crisis.
The prayer, which was first read at Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral and later to pilgrims in Lourdes, angered several gay rights groups.
Michael Bouvar, one of the leaders of the group SOS Homophobie, told AFPTV: “The message sent out by the church is a mask for discrimination and homophobia.”
Popular Stories
Money has to serve, not to rule - Pope
Video - Soldier hacked to death in...
Update 7 - Bombs kill 3 people, wound...
Updated - Boston bomb suspect 'identified'
Margaret Thatcher dies after stroke
Update 2 - Three missing women found...
Update 2: Gunman held in Rome police...
Investigators scour video, photos for...
Updated: Boston lockdown as bomber hunted
In Discussion
Video - Soldier hacked to death in...
Margaret Thatcher dies after stroke
Almost 500 migrants rescued in 24 hours...
Clashes as France approves gay marriages
More migrants arrive in Lampedusa
Boy, 8, killed in Boston blasts...
EU approves Cyprus bailout plan
England to ban wild animals at circuses
Pope washes feet of young inmates -...
4 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
wayne scicluna
Aug 17th 2012, 23:52
Same sex = sodomy. Children do not deserve to grow up in that atmosphere.
John Benner
Aug 17th 2012, 20:10
Its not for the first time that the church is not in tune with its congregation , its only a matter of time before same sex marriage is possible in the UK ,.France and Italy , and in all cases the church is at odds with their governments .As far as the UK is concerned they have made it clear the law is not going to make the church carry out any marriage services they can do as they wish as they do at present with civil ceremony's and I imagine other European countries do the same .I find it hard to understand that the church will not bless the coming together of two people , I was brought up to believe we are made in his likeness , does that mean everybody except those who love differently . Joseph said nature was created by God very true , he also created those who love differently ,if that way of loving was a choice then I perhaps would question there love , but its not a choice they are born loving someone of the same sex ,so yes if you believe god created us all they too are part of Gods plan .
Elvin Muscat
Aug 17th 2012, 10:18
The problem with this gay marriage issue is two fold.
The Church is right in wanting marriage and a family to be father and mother, that is how nature intended.
People have a right to choose their partner, whether same sex or not and if they wished to adopt is also a choice they should have a right to make.
The two cannot co-exist, same sex couples cannot ask the Church to bless their wishes, and nor could the Church ask gay couples to stop their feelings.
The marriage part is irrelevant here.
Joseph John Camilleri
Aug 17th 2012, 16:50
Elvin, it's not only what nature intended. Nature was created by God and it's what God intended in his divine plan. That's why he created them man and woman. 'Go forth and multiply'. Same sex species do not multiply. By all means I'm all in favour of their rights but not marriage.
Please choose the reason of your report below: