Politics
Thursday January 11, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
Pope: Legal Recognition of Gay Unions is “Dangerous and Counterproductive”
Adds, “Social commitment to charity can never be disassociated from the courageous announcement of the faith"
By John Jalsevac
ROME, Italy, January 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Earlier today Pope Benedict XVI met with Piero Marrazzo, president of the Region of Lazio, Italy; Walter Veltroni, mayor of the City of Rome; and Enrico Gasbarra, president of the Province of Rome, for the purpose of exchanging the traditional New Years greetings.
During the meeting Benedict addressed the topic of the family, saying that the "intrinsic value and authentic motivations" of marriage and the family, "need today to be better understood. To this end, the Church's pastoral commitment is great and must grow further.”
Along the same line the pope told his visitors that it is necessary that policies are developed that encourage healthy families and marriages.
"However," the pope added, "projects that aim to attribute to other forms of union inappropriate legal recognition appear dangerous and counterproductive.” Benedict said such unions, and the legal recognition of them, ends up "weakening and destabilizing the legitimate family based on marriage."
The Pope’s remarks were evidently aimed at the current Italian government’s push towards the legal recognition of homosexual unions, and the relationships of heterosexual cohabitating couples.
In related news, during yesterday’s General Audience Pope Benedict encouraged Christians to continue to courageously proclaim the faith despite mounting persecutions.
“Social commitment to charity can never be disassociated from the courageous announcement of the faith," said Benedict. "The cross remains central in the life of the Church as well as in our private lives. In the history of the Church, passion and persecution will never be lacking."
"In our own lives too, the cross, which will never be lacking, becomes a blessing," he concluded. "And accepting the cross, knowing that is [sic] it is and becomes a blessing, we learn the joy of being Christian, even in moments of difficulty."
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Vatican Says Italian Government Wants to "Eradicate" Traditional Family
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/dec/06121102.html
New Italian Government in Clash With Vatican over Homosexual Civil Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052409.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- UK Bishops’ Document on Homosexuality Praised by Prominent Anti-Catholic Homosexualist
- Interview: "The Proposed Coalition Government is Very Very Scary" Says Canadian Pro-Life Leader
- Abortionist Pleads No Contest to Felonies, Faces up to 10 Years in Jail
- Catholic Bishop: "Go Right Ahead and Arrest Me" Rather than Obey Freedom of Choice Act
- Abortion Linked to Disproportionately High Rate of Black Premature Births
- Bush Interview: "I Didn't Sell my Soul for Politics"
- Unprecedented Restrictions Placed on Religious, Political Clubs at Lakehead University
- Franklin Graham, Son of Billy Graham, at California Megachurch: "Abortion is Murder"
- Author of French "Right to Die" Law Opposes Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
- Life Prizes Announces Winners of $600,000 Pro-Life Award
- Homosexualist Catholic University Students Join Protest against True Marriage
- Letters to the Editor for Tuesday, December 2, 2008
- Purchase of Christmas Music CD By Pro-Life Priest is Great Way to Support LifeSiteNews
Most Read this Week
- Behind the Scenes of Volition: Coincidences and Startling Circumstances
- Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas
- Belgian Couple Sells Baby on EBay
- Leading Canadian Pro-Life MP Relates Shocking 20 Year Lack of Support From Catholic Clergy
- Naming the Anti-Life Appointments in the Obama Administration
- Cardinal on Biblical Condemnation of Homosexuality: We're Not Allowed the Cowardice of "Politically Correct" Silence
- Film Review: Volition
- A Painful, Disease-Ridden Death Isn’t So Bad if You’re Just a White, Heterosexual Male
- Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
- Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain
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.