Canadian bishops protest vote allowing gay marriage

Published: 2005-06-30

OTTAWA (CNS) -- The passage of a bill making Canada the latest country allowing gays to marry drew a swift rebuke from the Canadian bishops. Archbishop Brendan O'Brien of St. John's, Newfoundland, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said passage of the bill meant Canadians were "witnessing a dangerous deterioration of their communal values." That deterioration is evident, he said, in the high rates of divorce and abortion and in declining birthrates. Members of Parliament voted 158-133 June 28 in favor of gay marriage. The Netherlands and Belgium have passed similar legislation. On June 30, Spain's Parliament passed into law a bill allowing gays to marry, adopt children and inherit their partner's property.

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