Survey says most Italians favor benefits for cohabiting couples

Published: 2004-11-08

ROME (CNS) -- A new survey said most Italians favor the extension of some benefits to cohabiting couples, as well as the right to adopt children. But most Italians are against homosexual marriage and say homosexual couples should not have the right to adopt, the survey said. The survey was conducted by the Italian polling agency Eurisko, and its results were published Nov. 7 by the Rome newspaper La Repubblica. The telephone survey polled a population sample of 1,000 people over the age of 18. Bishop Elio Sgreccia, vice president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a leading Vatican official on family and bioethics issues, said the results of the poll raised some concerns but generally confirmed the importance of the family in Italian social life. "It should be remembered that the church does not change its moral teachings on the basis of statistics. The church always defends its values without being conditioned by anyone," he said.

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