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ROME, March 15, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – The Catholic Church cannot bless homosexual relationships, the Vatican declared today, calling such blessings “illicit.” A question to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about whether or not the Church has the “power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex” was answered in the “negative” by the congregation’s prefect, Luis Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer. The congregation’s statement was assented to by Pope Francis. While the statement was signed Feb. 22, it was only released today. The Congregation stated that it is “not licit to impart a blessing on...

This morning, the world has been greeted with headlines proclaiming that ‘Pope Francis blesses gay marriage’. It stems from hysteria related to use of older comments in a new documentary about the pope, entitled ‘Francesco’. As with many other similar instances of controversy in the papacy of Francis, such as the ‘Who am I to Judge?’ fiasco, a mix of Francis’s ambiguous speaking style and deliberate lies by the mainstream media are to blame, though this time there is the added aspect of the strange nature of Frances’s documentary. We must also lay some of the blame at the feet...

Pope Francis called for the passage of civil union laws for same-sex couples in a documentary that aired in Rome on Wednesday, in a major departure from the position held by the Vatican’s doctrinal office. “Homosexuals have a right to be part of the family,” the pontiff said in “Francesco,” a documentary about his life. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.” “What we have to create is a civil union law,” he added. “That way, they are legally covered. I stood up for...

Rome (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people gathered in Rome's Circus Maximus arena Saturday to protest against a civil unions bill for same-sex couples, a hot-potato issue for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government. But while organisers had been hoping to attract one million people and authorities had prepared for 500,000, journalists at the scene estimated the numbers to be in the tens of thousands. Official numbers were not immediately available. "Without limits, our society will go mad!" organiser Massimo Gandolfini told the "Family Day" rally, as grandparents, parents and children held up banners reading "Wrong is wrong" in the...

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to protest in Rome's Circus Maximus arena Saturday against a civil unions bill for same-sex couples, a hot-potato issue for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government. "As many people as possible must take part. Remember; this is the only weapon we have!" organizer Massimo Gandolfini said ahead of the "Family Day" rally, which begins in the capital's ancient Roman chariot racing stadium at 1100 GMT. Gandolfini said he expected to fill the arena, which can take 350,000 people without counting the surrounding streets, while authorities in Rome said they were preparing for up to...

6. State control The Clandestine Marriage Act of 1753, popularly known as Lord Hardwicke's Act, marked the beginning of state involvement in marriage, says sociologist Carol Smart of the University of Manchester. "You've got these parallel strands going on of the secular and the religious sides, and that clearly hasn't gone away," Smart adds. The act required couples to get married in a church or chapel by a minister, otherwise the union was void. Couples also had to issue a formal marriage announcement, called banns, or obtain a licence. Most prospective newlyweds were already following these directives, which were enshrined...

Twenty couples seal their commitment at City Hall(ANSA) - Rome, May 21 - Rome's brand-new civil unions registry kicked off Thursday as 20 couples - 14 of them gay and six straight - sealed their commitment to one another at City Hall. Actors Michela Andreozzi and Massimiliano Vado were first in line to celebrate their civil union on what center-left Mayor Ignazio Marino has called Celebration Day. Another couple tying the knot are Paola and Stella, both volunteers at Rome's Gay Center who have been together for 31 years. "Today a just, serene, peaceful and egalitarian Italy takes center stage,"...

In a Facebook post following his interview with CNN’s “New Day,” Dr. Ben Carson issued a statement, apologizing for saying people who change their sexual orientation after going to jail shows that “being gay is a choice.” […] “I support human rights and Constitutional protections for gay people, and I have done so for many years. I support civil unions for gay couples, and I have done so for many years. I support the right of individual states to sanction gay marriage, and I support the right of individual states to deny gay marriage in their respective jurisdictions,” Carson said....

So there I was, reading a guest article in our newspaper here in Arkansas and nodding not just in agreement but admiration. And why not? For the guest writer was going right down the list of points I'd made over the years in favor of civil unions as an alternative to homosexual marriage. Well put, I thought. Right on, amen, hallelujah and selah! Few things are as pleasing as seeing one's own opinions repeated by others; they seem even more convincing when their glory is reflected in another's words. Attaway, brother! Ye-e-es! Such is human vanity, or at least that...

Pope Francis has suggested that the Vatican could support gay civil unions in the future, according to one of the church’s most senior cardinals. Cardinal Dolan told American television that Francis wants church leaders to 'look into it and see the reasons that have driven them.' 'It wasn't as if he came out and approved them,' Dolan told NBC on Sunday. 'He said, “Rather than quickly condemn them, let's just ask the questions as to why that has appealed to certain people.” In an interview to mark his first year in the church’s top job, Pope Francis last week reaffirmed...

Many publications, such as The Huffington Post, have falsely asserted that Pope Francis indicated he is open to homosexual civil unions. Elizabeth Dias correctly notes this is false. She writes, "First, it is important to be clear about what Pope Francis did and did not just say. He did not affirm gay marriage. He did not announce Holy See support for civil unions. He reiterated, yet again, the traditional and non-changing Catholic teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman..." Read her full Blog post for Time here. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its...

Pope Francis has said that he could support civil unions between members of the same sex; but could not support same-sex marriage.

I have proposed before on this blog that we may be coming to a point where we should consider dropping our use of the word marriage. It  is a simple fact that word “marriage” as we have traditionally known it is being redefined in our times. To many in the secular world the word no longer means what it once did and when the Church uses the word marriage we clearly do not mean what the New York Legislature or an increasing number of states mean.The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Marriage in the following way: The matrimonial covenant,...

Exxon Mobil Corp. said Friday that it will begin offering benefits to legally married same-sex couples in the U.S. for the first time starting next week. The company says it will recognize "all legal marriages" when it determines eligibility for health care plans for the company's 77,000 employees and retirees in the U.S. That means if a gay employee has been married in a state or country where gay marriage is legal, his or her spouse will be eligible for benefits with Exxon in the U.S. as of Oct. 1. Exxon, which is facing a same-sex discrimination complaint in Illinois,...

Two of the most senior Belgian clerics have voiced support for civil unions, but said the Church would not see such a partnership as a marriage, which they said was only between a man and a woman. Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard, Archbishop of Brussels, made his comments through his spokesman in response to an interview by the Belgian newspaper De Tijd with his successor, Cardinal Godfried Danneels.

Two years ago, I was one of two legislative Republicans to stand up and speak out against the marriage amendment, which sought to constitutionally define marriage as between one man and one woman. My reasoning was simple: I do not believe government should dictate with whom an adult should live and love, nor is it government's duty to define what marriage means to an individual. Gay rights supporters lauded my stand. They blasted the Legislature -- rightfully so -- for wasting time on an issue that ordered government to define and accept a religious activity. Now with the "freedom to...

The Colorado government, now completely run by Democrats, has done an about-face regarding civil unions for gay couples. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill allowing same-sex civil unions roughly a year ago after the same idea went down to defeat in what was then a Republican-led House. But last November Democrats won the House, having control of the Senate already, and the new alignment allowed the bill to be passed. It will go into effect May 1. Most of the Republicans in the state government held fast against the measure because they wanted religious exemptions granted to those who...

Miguel Woites, a confidant of Pope Francis while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, is denying a widely publicized claim that the then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio suggested the endorsement of gay civil unions as an alternative to "homosexual marriage" during a private meeting with fellow bishops in 2010. In an interview granted to the Catholic news agency ACI Prensa, Woites said that the story "isn't true. It's a complete error."

WASHINGTON — Dozens of prominent Republicans — including top advisers to former President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress — have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry, a position that amounts to a direct challenge to Speaker John A. Boehner and reflects the civil war in the party since the November election.

Here is a better way to look at this ... the government should not be in the marriage business, and marriage is not a political issue. Gay people, for the most part, express a desire to get married for the benefits that are extended to married couple [rights like Social Security benefits, child care tax credits, Family and Medical Leave to take care of loved ones, and COBRA healthcare for spouses and children]. Government should allow people to engage in civil unions [this includes men and women], only. Marriage should be left to the churches. Then, any one can have...