British bishops warn: complaints of homosexuals, witches could trump religious freedom under EU directive

August 03, 2009

The bishops of England, Wales, and Scotland are warning that a proposed EU directive against discrimination and harassment could lead to the erosion of religious freedom.

Msgr. Andrew Summersgill, general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, writes:

Discrimination under this Directive is not restricted to employment, and so this subjective approach to harassment will apply in all walks of life, including academic discourses, sermons, theatre, television and radio discussions. Various pressure groups are likely to use the provisions of the Directive to curtail the expression of views they disagree with by the simple expedient of declaring themselves to be offended. Homosexual groups campaigning for same sex marriage may declare themselves offended by the presentation of the Catholic Church’s moral teaching on homosexual acts…

Art 3 (1) (d) includes within the scope of the Directive discrimination in relation to ‘Access to and supply of goods and services which are available to the public including housing’. It is not clear whether ‘goods and services’ would apply to the activities of a Catholic priest, if, as recently occurred, he were to refuse to take a booking for a Church Hall from a group of witches…

Art. 13 requires Member States to ensure that ‘any …internal rules of undertakings, and rules governing profit or non-profit-making associations contrary to the principle of equal treatment are, or may be, declared null and void or are amended.’ This could have the effect of requiring Catholic organisations to act against their ethos: if a Catholic event takes place at a venue that offers double, twin, and single bedded rooms, the teaching of the Church would require that double bedded rooms were only available to married couples. Under Article 13 the rule (and the practice it governed) could be unlawful for failing to provide equal treatment to unmarried heterosexual couples or to homosexual couples. At this point the EU would effectively be dictating to religious bodies what their faith does or does not require: a wholly unacceptable position.

 

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Further information:

• Bishops respond to proposed EU Equal Treatment Directive (Catholic Communications Network)
• UK Consultation On The European Commission Proposal For An Equal Treatment Directive: Response From The Catholic Bishops’ Conferences Of England And Wales, And Scotland (Catholic Communications Network)