Vatican head opens to gay civil union
2013-02-05 17:41
Vatican City - The Vatican's top official on family
policy has opened slightly to the possibility of rights for gay civil unions,
although he also stressed that marriage should remain between a man and a
woman.
The remarks from Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, head of the
Pontifical Council for the Family, were made at a Vatican press conference on
Monday and were quoted in Italian press on Tuesday.
"Marriage is a clear legal dimension. There are then
multiple other types of non-family cohabitation for which solutions should be
found in terms of individual law and in my view also in terms of property
law," Paglia said.
His comments were widely seen as a reference to gay
couples.
"I think this is a terrain that politicians should
begin to approach," said the archbishop, adding that legal rights for
non-traditional families would "prevent injustice against the
weakest".
"This seems an important path to pursue," he
said.
The Italian prelate also spoke out against homophobia in
the Middle East and Africa, saying that in countries where being gay is
considered a crime "this should be fought against".
Gay rights activists gave mixed reactions to his
comments.
"For the first time a senior prelate recognises that
there should be rights also for gay couples and that there are many countries
in the world where being gay is a crime," said Franco Grillini, the head
of Gaynet.
But Aurelio Mancuso, head of Equality Italia, said the
type of legal protection that Paglia was talking about would mean "keeping
the status quo, in other words an absence of rights".
"The only chance is a clear law that recognises the
rights and duties of gay couples, in terms of property and inheritance, medical
assistance, social welfare," he said.
Paglia has been in charge of his Vatican ministry for a
year and is considered more open and modern than his predecessors, particularly
on accepting the reality of the daily lives of many Catholics.
The British and French parliaments are currently
examining draft laws to legalise gay marriage.
The Catholic Church considers homosexuality sinful but is
opposed to any discrimination against gays.
