Scottish bishop tells Cameron: No same-sex unions in Catholic Church

July 23, 2010

The Catholic Church will never “register civil partnerships” or “celebrate same-sex unions,” Bishop Philip Tartaglia emphasized in a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron. The letter follows comments made by the prime minister at a gay pride event.

Prime Minister Cameron had said in June:

I am pleased to announce that we are taking a further step, and I think a good step and a right step-- and I say this as someone who believes in marriage, who believes in civil partnership, who believes in commitment-- and that is to say that if religious organizations, if churches, if mosques, if temples want to have civil partnerships celebrated at religious places of worship, that should be able to happen and we should make that happen.

“Your statement is vague enough to have more than one outcome in practice,” wrote Bishop Tartaglia. “But you and your Government need to be aware from the outset that the Catholic Church will not register civil partnerships nor celebrate same-sex unions: not now, not in the future, not ever, no matter what legislation or regulations your Government enacts or endorses.”

When Bishop Tartaglia was ordained a bishop in 2005, Archbishop Raymond Burke traveled to Scotland to serve as one of his principal co-consecrators.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Bishop on same-sex marriage: not now, not ever… (The Herald)