French church official welcomes court ruling after mock wedding

Published: 2007-05-03

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A French church official welcomed a Paris superior court ruling that a gay rights group pay symbolic damages to the church after the group staged a lesbian mock wedding in Notre Dame Cathedral. The "provocative action" had "hurt many people, believers or not, from all denominations both in and outside France," Michel-Francois Szczepka, spokesman for the cathedral, told Catholic News Service May 2. Judge Jacques Bichard said the 2005 mock wedding had threatened religious freedoms protected under the French Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights. The court ruled April 27 that the cathedral's rector, Msgr. Patrick Jacquin, would be awarded his requested symbolic compensation of 1 euro (US$1.30) as well as 2,000 euros (US$2,718) in court costs. At least 20 members of the gay rights group Act Up-Paris staged the spoof marriage between two women in the 12th-century Gothic cathedral. Msgr. Jacquin received first aid after being kicked and punched when he tried to stop the event, which was led by a man dressed as a priest.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .