British government begins "gay marriage" consultation
The British government has launched a 12-week consultation on whether or not homosexuals
in England and Wales will be allowed to go through marriage ceremonies. In 2005,
the government introduced civil partnerships for gay couples, which carry the same
legal rights as marriage.
In a letter read at all Masses on Sunday, Archbishop
of Westminster Vincent Nichols asked Catholics to voice their opposition to any change
in the law, and to encourage their participation in the consultation.
“Changing
the legal definition of marriage would be a profoundly radical step. Its consequences
should be taken seriously now,” he said.
“The law helps to shape and form
social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform
society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. It would reduce it just to the
commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity
of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education
of children. We have a duty to married people today, and to those who come after us,
to do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future
generations.”