RC Church slams 'gay marriage' plan

Published on 01/11/2003 00:00

LEGAL recognition of same-sex partnerships would undermine public morality and expose young people to "erroneous ideas about sexuality", according to the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.

And it claims the Scottish Executive’s plans for civil partnerships, giving gay couples many of the same rights as married partners, amounted to a redefinition of marriage. A written submission to the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee says: "The Catholic Church is opposed to proposals to introduce civil partnership registration for same-sex couples and granting special privileges to such relationships.

"Granting legal status to homosexual unions, even when not using the word marriage, clearly introduces a legal entity which imitates marriage."

The Church claims its opposition is not founded on prejudice, saying people who experience same-sex attraction should meet "compassion and sensitivity". But it adds: "Homosexual acts remain immoral and cannot be approved."

The Church argues legal recognition of same-sex unions would represent "a profound change in the organisation of society, the understanding of human sexuality and the status of marriage as the foundation of family life".

And it adds: "This represents a failure on the State’s part in its duty to promote and defend marriage as an institution essential to the common good."

The view is backed in a separate submission from the UK Islamic Mission which says: "In our opinion civil registration is a marriage by another name which should be opposed as the value of married life will be devalued further."

And last night Scotland’s new cardinal, Archbishop Keith O’Brien - clad in red biretta and soutane - said in a homily at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s RC Cathedral: "Families are the building blocks of society and the foundation on which those building blocks are laid is marriage."