Politics
Wednesday July 13, 2005
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Catholic Cardinal Warns Senate of Impending Anti-Christian Prosecution With Gay 'Marriage'
OTTAWA, July 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada made a presentation to a committee of the Canadian Senate today on the homosexual 'marriage' bill. Speaking for himself and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Ouellet said to the Senators, "we are turning to you in the hope that you will prevent the adoption of this unjust law."
The Cardinal made mention of situations where legal authorities have already trampled on rights of Christians who oppose same sex 'marriage' such as marriage commissioners who were forced out of their jobs for refusing on grounds of conscience to perform homosexual 'marriages.' "These attempts to intimidate persons who do not share the State's vision of marriage may well multiply after the adoption of Bill C-38," said the Primate of Canada. "Once the State imposes a new standard affirming that homosexual sexual behaviour is a social good, those who oppose it for religious motives or motives of conscience will be considered as bigots, anti-gay and homophobes, and then risk prosecution."
Cardinal Ouellet stressed the negative impact the legislation will have on children. "We are also most concerned by the foreseeable impact of a redefinition of marriage on Canada's most vulnerable citizens - its children. We cannot dismiss their needs and rights by imagining that tomorrow's society will not suffer from the repercussions of this legislation," he said. "The principal right of children is to be born of an act of love and to live in complete communion with a father and mother."
The Cardinal explained the reason the State owes recognition to married couples as opposed to homosexual couples saying, "Unlike same-sex couples, heterosexual couples naturally and most often transmit life. In giving new citizens to society, they render an essential social service to the State, which justifies a special status to their union."
Returning to the question of religious persecution Cardinal Ouellet left the Senators with some uncomfortable questions. "The Charter currently protects freedom of conscience and religion; however, in provinces that recognize the validity of same-sex marriage we are already witnessing lawsuits against persons and groups who do not share this vision. Must we now resign ourselves to being victims of discrimination for believing in the historical definition of marriage and wishing to teach, educate and preach according to our faith and conscience? Must a majority of parents accept it as inevitable, that schools and the media will transmit a vision of marriage contrary to their own?," he said.
See the Cardinal's full presentation:
http://www.cccb.ca/PublicStatements.htm?ID=1688
jhw
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- Petition of 30,000 Canadians Asks Governor General to Rescind Order of Canada to Abortionist
- Lithuanian Government Bans EU Pro-Homosexual Tour Truck
- Australian Woman Dies from Taking Birth Control Pill
- Is it True McCain "Got the Message" About not Running a Pro-Abortion VP?
- Freedom of Conscience for Ontario Doctors: Public Comment Extended to September 12
- Promote Culture of Life and Catholic Teaching to Combat Rising Crime and Cultural Degradation: Lancaster Bishop
- Success with Re-growing Horse Ligaments Leads to New NIH Adult Stem Cell Centre
- Guatemalan Cardinal on Abortion: "It is just as serious to kill a 10 year-old child"
- MP Ken Epp responds to the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada's Claims about Unborn Victims of Crime Bill
- Health Minister: Safe-Injection Sites a "Surrender to a Culture of Disease and Death."
- Indiana County Commission Upholds Regulations on Abortions under Criticism
- Statistics Canada Finds More Abstinence among Teen Girls in the Last Decade
- Exclusive: Retiring UK Bishop Reveals No Consensus among Brother Bishops over Same-sex Adoption
- California Supreme Court Rules Doctors Must Provide Treatment against Their Religious Beliefs
Most Read this Week
- Westminster Exorcist: Promiscuity can Lead to Demonic Possession
- Secret Meeting to Plot Global Abortion Strategy Exposed - UN Personnel Present
- Batman The Dark Knight - Should We Fear Imitation of the Joker?
- Massive Brazilian Vaccination Raises Suspicions of Covert Sterilization Program
- Niece of Martin Luther King Jr. to Lead Prayer Vigil Outside Largest U.S. Abortion Centre - Monday August 25
- Obama Caught Red-Handed in Abortion Lie
- New England Journal of Medicine: 'Brain Death' is not Death - Organ Donors are Alive
- HPV Vaccine Causes 21 Deaths and Counting - CDC Study Launched
- Traditional Fort Worth Episcopal Priests Seek Communion with Catholic Church
- Homeschooling Showdown in Brazil: Children to be Tested by Court in Battle Over Educational Rights of Parents
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.