Papal envoy says gay partnerships should be acknowledged
-5/5/04
The papal ambassador to Spain has suggested that the Catholic church should "acknowledge" gay partnerships
The comments by the Pope's ambassador to one of Europe's leading Catholic countries is being seen as a significant difference to the Vatican's resolute opposition to gay relationships.
It is believed to be the first time that a high ranking official in the Catholic Church has questioned the official position and indicates, some commentators say, a major crack in what was until now considered an impenetrable wall of opposition to gay unions.
Monsignor Manuel Monteiro de Castro told a conference of Spanish bishops at the weekend: "The new political situation in which we are living in Spain sets new challenges in the spreading of the gospel and we must meet those challenges in an appropriate manner."
Departing from his prepared speech, the papal nuncio stopped just short of endorsing gay marriage saying that although the law in Spain, and many other countries, currently defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, "there are other forms of cohabitation and it is good that they be recognized".
However, the envoy stopped short of saying that covenanted gay relationships should be considered equivalent to marriages.
"They are not the same as marriage," he said. "We will leave the term marriage for that which it has always referred to, and other arrangements should be given other names."
But the nuncio did say that gay couples should be given access to certain civil rights, including those within the social security system. He added: "The church can also help them in their spiritual life."
Last month the Spanish government formally announced it will bring in legislation to legalize same-sex marriage.
The remarks were in sharp contrast to last year's Vatican guidelines which called on Catholics to campaign against the legalisation of gay relationships, calling them "evil", "deviant" and a grave threat to society.
The document said: "We must refrain from any formal cooperation with the promulgation or application of such seriously unjust laws and, as far as is possible, from any material cooperation in their application."
It added: "There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family. Marriage is holy while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law."
Although some Catholic bishops in England might be privately relatively sympathetic to the nuncio's views, they have publicly criticised the government's proposed civil partnerships legislation.
But there has been a growing sense within the Spanish church that it should acknowledge and accept different lifestyles. A meeting in the Gerona diocese last week also defended gay relationships.
But the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio MarÌa Rouco Varela, told the conference: "Marriage, as an institution, contributes to the growth and stability of society as a structure for bringing up children. For that, we owe it the recognition and legal support of the state.
"Homosexual cohabitation, which can never fulfil that role, cannot be credited with the same social function as marriage and the family."
He added: "This is not about denying anyone their rights, on the contrary it's about defending the rights of the family in a coherent fashion, and that is an issue of vital importance for the present and future of Spanish society."
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