Conti claims Executive backs right of Catholic adoption agencies to ban gay couples

"Ministers gave assurances that the services provided by the Catholic Adoption agencies was valued by the Executive and every effort would be made to protect the position of Catholic agencies. Implementation of the proposed regulations would be regarded as a betrayal of this commitment which was accepted in good faith by the Catholic community in Scotland." - Cardinal Mario Conti, vice-president of the Bishop's Conference

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THE Scottish Executive has given assurances that adoption agencies run by the Catholic Church will not be compelled to place children with same-sex couples, the Church claimed last night.

The Catholic Church added that it would regard any backtracking on the assurance as a "betrayal".

The revelation came in a letter to Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, written by Archbishop Mario Conti, the vice-president of the Bishops' Conference.

The letter urged Mr Blair to amend the proposed sexual- orientation regulations so that Catholic adoption agencies would be exempt.

The Scottish Bishops' intervention follows a similar letter sent to the Prime Minster by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, which said it would close down its adoption agencies if not given exemption.

In his letter, Archbishop Conti said: "The Catholic Bishops of Scotland express their support for the position taken by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor ... regarding the proposed regulations on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services."

It added: "The Catholic Church in Scotland also provides adoption and fostering services and the proposed regulations put in jeopardy the ability of these agencies to retain the discretion they have always exercised in favour of the children entrusted to them, which discretion is informed by the moral and social teaching of the Catholic Church."

The letter ends by stating that if the Executive failed to protect the Church's agencies, it would be regarded as a "betrayal".

It states: "What gives the Bishops' Conference of Scotland added cause for concern is the fact that when legislation concerning the provision of adoption services was recently making its way through the Scottish Parliament, ministers gave assurances that the services provided by the Catholic Adoption agencies was valued by the Executive and every effort would be made to protect the position of Catholic agencies.

"Implementation of the proposed regulations would be regarded as a betrayal of this commitment which was accepted in good faith by the Catholic community in Scotland."

A spokesman for Stonewall Scotland, the gay-rights body, described the Church's assertions as "strange and unchristian", adding: "Generally, our view would be that any exemptions from the goods and services legislation that this issue has come under would be discriminating against gay people.

"Obviously, there are exemptions in areas like religion, where doctrine is concerned, but where public goods and facilities are concerned, this shouldn't be the case.

"Basically, the only reason the Church intends to shut down its adoption agencies would be because it's more important to discriminate against gay people than it is to protect children. That's what they are saying."

The spokesman added:

"For the Church to say that it would rather shut down its adoption agencies and leave children in care seems rather strange and unchristian to me."

A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "The Executive wants to see a way forward that allows faith-based adoption agencies to continue - if not expand - their valuable work.

"This was made clear at every stage of the passage of the Adoption Act by Scottish education ministers and that remains our view."