Posted on 01/14/2005 6:20:42 AM PST by NYer
MADRID, Spain, JAN. 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Spanish government on Dec. 30 gave the green light to legislation that would allow same-sex "marriage" and adoption of children.
Criticism arose in Spain because, among other things, the decision by the Cabinet did not heed the opinion of the Council of State, the highest consultative organ. Nor was the legislation sent to the Judicial Power's General Council.
Further, critics say, the legislation disregarded the social debate, and did not respond to a real demand -- only 0.11% of surveyed couples in the country are homosexual.
The Spanish Forum of the Family (FEF), which represents 4 million families, presents the full version of the Council of State's opinion on its Web page.
The text "might even serve as a solid juridical foundation when an appeal is made about the unconstitutional nature" of the draft law, the FEF states.
Meanwhile, 500,000 signatures are being collected to ensure that the legislation is debated and voted on in the courts.
The Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) is a form of popular political participation recognized by the Spanish Constitution, through which citizens present a law before the General Courts to be debated and carried forward.
The initiative hopes to ensure the parliamentary discussion of a norm that is of interest to a large number of citizens, but which politicians are unwilling to propose for other reasons.
The period for the collection of this ILP ends April 5. As of Dec. 29, more than 300,000 signatures had been collected.
For its part, the Spanish bishops' conference launched an information campaign on Church teachings about certain moral questions, centered in this case on marriage.
On Jan. 7, in his weekly letter, Archbishop Fernando Sebastian of Pamplona, secretary of the episcopate, called for a reaction against the government's decision.
"Our government has decided to make same, what is different," the archbishop said. "It is the same if a man and woman marry, or if two men marry, or two women. Everything is marriage, and all have the same rights.
"From the social and public point of view, is the love of two persons of the same sex the same as the love between a man and a woman? The whole world knows that the feelings, relations and consequences are not the same."
He added: "To speak like this today is neither 'culturally' nor 'politically' correct. It can even cause violent reprisals. It would not be the first time. However, it is correct from the Christian point of view, and for that very reason it is humanly and socially correct, just and obligatory."
"Homosexual unions are totally lacking in the biological and anthropological elements of marriage and family which would be the basis, on the level of reason, for granting them legal recognition. Such unions are not able to contribute in a proper way to the procreation and survival of the human race. The possibility of using recently discovered methods of artificial reproduction, beyond involving a grave lack of respect for human dignity,(15) does nothing to alter this inadequacy."
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS
Looks like the Spanish citizens are taking matters into their own hands. God bless them!
We could learn something from them.
The same Spanish citizens with the lowest birthrate in Europe? What have their Bishops been teaching them about marriage for the last 30 years?
"El Caudillo", Francisco Franco, must be rolling over in his grave (assuming he's still dead)! Looks like the anti-clerical Commie-Stalinists won after all.
The issue of gay marriage is a matter that only the legislature should be allowed to decide, not the courts.
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