Tag Archives: civil unions

Does Pope Francis Support Civil Unions? | Queering the Church

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At Bondings 2.0, Frank DeBenardo makes an intriguing claim about Pope Francis – that he has made ” a declarative endorsement of civil unions for same-sex couples”. He bases this on an extract from a conversation between the pope and a French sociologist, one of a series of 12 which will soon be published in book form.Extracts from these conversations, including the one referring to civil unions, have been published at Crux.

DeBenardo’s response at Bondings 2.0 is to read this as an endorsement of civil unions:

What’s new here, however, is his declarative endorsement of civil unions for same-sex couples. Although many church leaders have suggested supporting such an arrangement in recent years, Pope Francis has never, as pontiff, stated his endorsement of civil unions so flatly.

Is this really a ” declarative endorsement of civil unions for same-sex couples”? I’d love to think so, but I’m not convinced.

Full report: Queering the Church

Pope Francis Says He Supports Civil Unions for Lesbian and Gay Couples – Bondings 2.0

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A new book, Pope Francis has spoken out on a variety of topics from his personal development to many issues facing church and state.   Not surprisingly, LGBT topics were mentioned, and not surprisingly, the pope’s statements are a mixed bag.

The book, entitled Politics and Society, is a series of 12 conversations between the pope and Dominique Wolton, a French sociologist.   Crux carried a string of excerpts from the book on his visits to a psychoanalyst, the role of the laity, colonial exploitation, and, of course, same-gender marriage and gender identity.   On the last topic, the excerpt reads:


Pope Francis

“Marriage between people of the same sex? ‘Marriage’ is a historical word. Always in humanity, and not only within the Church, it’s between a man and a woman… we cannot change that. This is the nature of things. This is how they are. Let’s call them ‘civil unions.’ Lets not play with the truth. It’s true that behind it there is a gender ideology. In books also, children are learning that they can choose their own sex. Why is sex, being a woman or a man, a choice and not a fact of nature? This favors this mistake. But let’s say things as they are: Marriage is between a man and a woman. This is the precise term. Lets call unions between the same sex ‘civil unions’.”

Full report:  Bondings 2.0

Pope Congratulates, Blesses Gay Couple on the Baptism of Their Adopted Children – Bondings 2.0

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Pope Francis, through an aide, has sent his congratulations and apostolic blessing to a legally married Brazilian gay couple on the occasion of the baptism of their three adopted children.

According to Business Monkey News (the only immediately available English language news story), Toni Reis and David Harrad received a letter from Monsignor Paolo Borgia, advisor to the Secretary of State Vatican, which read in part:

“Pope Francisco wishes you congratulations, calling for his family abundance of divine graces, to live constantly and faithfully the condition of Christians.”

Read more:  Bondings 2.0

Apologies Need to Be Supported by Structures in Both State and Church | Bondings 2.0

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Several days ago, Bondings 2.0 reported on Munich’s Cardinal Reinhard Marx’s call for an apology by the Church to lesbian and gay people.  His call for apology preceded that of Pope Francis by several days.  The cardinal made his remarks at a press conference in Ireland last week, after he had given a speech at a meeting on church and state relations.

Our blog post was based on information from an IrishTimes news story.  Since that time, The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) filed a story on Marx’s speech, bringing to light some other, stronger comments he made while meeting with journalists.

NCR reported:

“Marx, who is president of the German bishops’ conference and a member of the pope’s advisory council of nine cardinals, called on not just the church to apologize to gays and lesbians, but society as a whole, which he said was implicated in this ‘terrible scandal.’

” ‘The history of homosexuals in our society is a very bad history because we have done a lot to marginalize them. It is not so long ago and so as church and as society we have to say sorry.’ “

Source: Bondings 2.0

Despite Vatican Opposition, Italy Passes Civil Unions Bill for Lesbian and Gay Couples 

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In what is being referred to as a rejection of Vatican influence into Italian politics,  the Italian Parliament voted in a civil unions bill this week, becoming the final nation in the 28-member European Union to do so.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi had called a confidence vote, as a way to prevent further delays and amendments, and he received a victory of 369-193. A later vote on the actual bill in the lower house of Parliament resulted in a tally of 372-51, with 99 abstentions, paving the way for civil unions to become the law of the land. The Senate had already approved the bill in February.

Rome’s Trevi Fountain was lit up in rainbow colors to celebrate the passage of the civil unions bill.

In their news report of the decisive vote, The New York Times stated:

“It was a historic occasion for a nation that is still dominated by the Roman Catholic Church, which opposed the measure, and where traditional family norms are still strong.”

Source:  Bondings 2.0

Cristianos Gays » Proponen aprobar unión civil equiparable al matrimonio en Bolivia

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Hace días el viceministro de Igualdad de Oportunidades, Juan Antonio Pérez, aseguró que el matrimonio igualitario es una medida que demanda avances mediante un proceso de construcción, maduración y concienciación de la sociedad.Se espera que el Parlamento se pronuncie en quince días sobre la propuesta planteada por el colectivo LGBT.El colectivo LGBT de Bolivia planteó hoy un proyecto de ley para la creación de una institución análoga al matrimonio que sea reconocida y protegida legalmente por el Estado.

Source: Cristianos Gays 

Unioni civili, marcia indietro del Pd: ddl Cirinnà sarà cambiato. Come chiede Ncd – Il Fatto Quotidiano

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Era tutto pronto, definito e da approvare prima possibile. Lo annunciava a più riprese il premier Matteo Renzi, lo certificava il sottosegretario alle Riforme Ivan Scalfarotto: entro la fine del 2015 l’Italia avrebbe avuto la sua legge sulle Unioni Civili , senza alcun cambiamento al ddl già approvato in commissione Giustizia al Senato. E invece dopo mesi di rassicurazioni arriva […]

Source: Unioni civili, marcia indietro del Pd: ddl Cirinnà sarà cambiato. Come chiede Ncd – Il Fatto Quotidiano

Anglican Bishop of Liverpool calls for blessings for same-sex civil partners

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One of the most senior Church of England bishops has broken ranks with colleagues to say that the church should offer blessing services for same-sex couples in civil partnerships

Bishop_James_jones 17 MARCH 2013 | BY ANDREW POTTS

Liverpool Anglican Bishop James Jones has broken ranks with other senior Church of England clergy to call for blessing services to be offered to same-sex couples in civil partnerships.

‘Over the years I have shared with you my thinking about how the gospel of embrace may be felt by those who are gay,’ Jones said in an address to the Diocese of Liverpool Synod.

‘If the Church now recognizes civil partnerships to be a just response to the needs of gay people then surely the Church now has to ask the question whether or not it can deny the blessing of God to that which is just.’

Jones added that historians a hundred years from now would be astounded that the current ‘litmus test of orthodoxy centered on whether or not one had a generous attitude to those who are gay,’ – referring to the current debate over homosexuality in the church.

However Jones stopped short of endorsing church marriages for same-sex couples.

‘I believe that there is a difference between heterosexual union and same gender intimacy and that it is appropriate to maintain that difference in the language we use,’ Jones said.

Jones had been one of a number of senior Anglicans to call for the Very Rev Jeffrey John to stand aside after he was appointed to the role of Bishop of Reading in 2003.

John was openly gay and in a long term committed but celibate relationship with the Rev Grant Holmes – also an Anglican priest – and his appointment to the role sent shockwaves through the Global Anglican Communion.

However Jones, who is due to retire next year, has since apologized to John and has revised his views of LGBT issues in the church.

continue reading at Gay Star News.

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CoE plan to bless gay couples’ civil partnerships?

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The Church of England is considering allowing gay couples to have their civil partnerships blessed  in church.

Insiders have told The Mail on Sunday that a top-level panel of bishops set up to review the Church’s policy on homosexuality is actively discussing the issue.

If the reform is approved, vicars would be permitted to conduct a  formal blessing service in church for a same-sex couple who have earlier ‘tied the knot’ at a register office.

Claire Balding Civil Partnership

Union: Television presenter Clare Balding (right) and Alice Arnold at their civil ceremony in 2006

Union: Television presenter Clare Balding (right) and Alice Arnold at their civil ceremony in 2006

But any move to relax the ban on such blessings would provoke the biggest split yet in the Church, which is already reeling from rows over women and gay bishops.

One option the panel is expected  to consider is a compromise under which gay couples seeking a blessing could be asked to declare they intend to remain celibate, in line with official Church teaching.

But this could create a backlash among gay couples, who would regard it as demeaning to be quizzed about their private lives.

A source close to the working party said that a ‘wide-ranging discussion’ was under way covering a ‘whole range of options’ and recommendations will be made to the House of Bishops later this year.

– more at  Mail Online.

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Calabrian Catholic bishop says gay couples ‘should have rights’

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Italian bishop Giuseppe Fiorini Morosini from Locri-Gerace recognizes that gay couples ‘should claim some rights, but they can not ask for marriage’

cattedrale_Gerace

18 DECEMBER 2012 | BY DANIELE GUIDO GESSA

Photo by DaffyDuke

An Italian Catholic bishop said that ‘same-sex couples should have their civil rights recognized.’

Bishop Giuseppe Fiorini Morosini, who is in charge of the Locri-Gerace area in Calabria, recognized same-sex couples’ rights in a letter sent to the churches of his area.

Such a recognition by the Catholic hierarchy is uncommon, but bishop Morosini added: ‘However, same-sex couples are not families. We can not give them the right to a regular marriage.

‘We believe in God and we have to respect the Christian values and rules. I suggest you defend these ideas strongly.’

The Italian Church is analyzing the possibility of a new Italian government wanting to give same-sex couples some rights. The next general elections will be held in spring.

Morosini added: ‘A marriage is a union between a man and a woman, but every couple should have civil rights.’

His stance has been welcomed by Italian LGBT associations, even though the Italian gay movement has condemned his call for ‘traditional’ marriage.Calabria is one of the less gay-friendly regions in Italy. Only a few LGBT associations operate in this area.

via Gay Star News.

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