Vatican Says Lawmakers Have Duty to Oppose Gay Marriage

In North America and Europe, recognition of gay rights is slowly growing. Homosexual civil unions – which grant same sex couples the same rights and responsibilities of married couples – are legal in several European countries, including Germany, France, Sweden, and Denmark. Canada recently disposed of a ban on gay marriages; and the US Supreme Court recently struck down a long-standing Texas law against sodomy. These societal and legal trends have the Vatican in an uproar. Vatican officials recently issued a document that instructs clergy and Catholic politicians worldwide on how to stop the legislative momentum in favor of gay marriages. The document says that Catholic politicians everywhere have a "moral duty" to vote against bills that recognize gay marriages, and also vocally opposes adoption by gay couples, describing it as "violence" against children. Historically, it is not unusual for the Catholic Church to issue guidelines on both moral and practical questions to Catholic leaders in other countries. During the middle ages, the Vatican compelled Catholics across Europe to burn heretics. Today, the Church instructs Catholic politicians globally to oppose abortion and euthanasia, even commenting on agricultural policies at times. – YaleGlobal