"In his weekly Sunday comments in St. Peter's Square, John Paul said marriage — which the Vatican defines as a sacred union between man and woman — was a "human and divine" gift that should be defended by society.
"In our times, a misunderstood sense of rights has sometimes disturbed the nature of the family institution and conjugal bond itself," he said. "It is necessary that at every level, the efforts of those who believe in the importance of the family based on matrimony unite."
In July, the Vatican launched a global campaign against gay unions in a bid to stem the tide of widening legal recognition for same-sex marriages in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
The Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a document saying Roman Catholic politicians had a "moral duty" to oppose laws granting legal rights to gay couples, and non-Catholics should follow their lead since the issue concerns "natural moral law."
"To vote in favor of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral," the document said, although it did not specify penalties for Catholics who do.
...
In January, the pope approved guidelines for Catholic politicians saying laws safeguarding marriage between man and woman must be promoted and "in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such.""
-- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/
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