Vatican paper criticizes 'violent attacks' on family in Spain, Canada

Published: 2005-07-01

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has called recent government measures in Spain and Canada legalizing same-sex marriage "new, violent attacks against the family." The Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said the moves were "violent attacks aimed at the natural family -- based on a union between a man and a woman." Spain's Parliament approved a bill June 30 to allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children; Canada's Parliament approved legislation legalizing same-sex marriage two days earlier. The June 30-July 1 edition of the Vatican newspaper said the heavily debated government proposals equating same-sex unions with marriage between a man and a woman were objectionable. The laws passed in Canada and Spain were expected to go into effect in July.

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